Moments With You
by FaerieTail
Summary: Average days containing special moments. ReaderXVarious Character Insert X Various
1. Do you Whistle?

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR! or anything copyrighted I so happen to mention throughout the series.

Warning: OOCness! BEWARE!

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Hibari: Do you Whistle?

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You walked towards the window of the reception room. Looking outside for anything interesting, you watched the scenery and the people walking in and out of the school(most walking out). You caught sight of a mocking bird in a tree and studied it carefully.

Then you remembered something. You turned away from the window, looking at the sadistic Cloud Guardian. "Hibari-san, do you whistle?"

He didn't look up from his desk; however a frown appeared on his emotionless face. "…_What?_" What kind of question was that?

You laughed nervously before saying, "Well, first, can you whistle?"

"Yes…But what is the point of that question, _(Name)_?" Hibari asked, somewhat irritated.

"Well, I read somewhere that skylarks whistle while they work…or while they're flying. I forgot," you frowned, thoughtful. You made your way over to the couch in front of his desk and sat down, staring at a wall.

Hibari grunted in response.

"Do you whistle a lot?" you asked, curious.

"No," was his answer. You watched the prefect who was engrossed in his work flip through page after page, then back again.

"Aw, really? So you're not really all that similar to the bird-the skylark?" you said, somewhat disappointed, but you weren't really. "I've read that a skylark's song usually lasts 2 to 3 minutes." Then added thoughtfully, "Kind of like Hibird's."

"Oh, really?" Hibari inquired sarcastically. He _really_ didn't care.

"Yeah," you responded enthusiastically, ignoring Hibari's sarcastic comment. "You know, I can't whistle. I've tried lots of times, but it comes out as air full of spit. Sometimes anyway," you added, grinning.

He said nothing.

You started talking again, "Hey-"

"Stop talking." Hibari interrupted. You looked up to see Hibari glaring at you.

"Hmph," you turned your head away from him and mumbled, "Sheesh. Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine. "

Before you knew it, he was standing over you and had grabbed your wrist. "Don't be defiant."

You blinked in surprise, thinking he might have been in a bad mood that whole time. You felt a little bad now. Then you gave him a cute grin. "Well, I'm bored."

He said nothing as he stared at you, then he pulled you up from the couch and simply said, "Let's go."

"Eh…Eh? Where?" You blinked twice, three times, four times, "H-Hibari-san?" He was dragging you to the door.

"I'm going to take a break. Also," He looked back at you and smirked. "I'm going to teach you how to whistle."

. . .

Well you didn't learn how to whistle but you did get a kick out of seeing Hibari whistle. You gaped as skylarks started gathering around him. It was funny watching.

However, when he tried to teach you he kept hitting you for your countless attempts of what you considered a 'whistle'.

This kept you bruised and sore after every whistling lesson henceforth.

. . .

. .

.

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I'm sorry if you don't like it, I just felt I had to get these out the way. Sorry if it's bad. Let me know what you think? Chapter length will vary and, of course, my ideas will come up short eventually, so its to be expected.

~Leave a review if you'd like~


	2. Clumsy

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Dino: Clumsy

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"Dino?" You were sitting across from him on the kitchen table.

"Hmm? Yeah?"

"Why are you so clumsy?" you asked, careful not to offend him in any way. You were ready to apologize at any moment.

"Uh…well…I'm not sure, really," Dino answered. "Weak ankles?" he joked.

You smiled at his humor. "Well I mean, were you always like this? Even since birth?"

He gave you an amused look. He chuckled. "Well, to tell you the truth, my mom said she dropped me on my head a couple of times when I was a baby."

You gasped. You were astounded at this point. You didn't know people actually dropped their children on their heads, much less drop them at all. Aside from the spank of life, you were sure every parent was careful with their child.

"Ha, ha, don't look so horrified. I think I turned out rather good actually," Dino laughed, "and if what my mom says is true, I forgive her. You see, my mom was real clumsy, too."

"R-really?"

"Yup, she said that her mom dropped her on her head, too. So she says that's why she's clumsy and that's why I am, too. Amazing, right?" He grimaced then added, "I don't really know how far back that cycle goes."

You looked at him worriedly. You wondered if he felt sad suddenly thinking about his youth and how he got so clumsy. You stood up and walked over to him. He said nothing as he watched you stop in front of him and kiss the top of his head. Then you patted it, as if you just dropped him. He blinked, surprised.

You stepped away, blushing furiously. "I-I guess it wouldn't hurt anymore, anyway," you said with a small smile. Dino had to think about what you just said for a moment. You turned to go back to your seat but he grabbed your wrist. You looked back at him, surprised, "…Dino?"

He stood up and the height difference made you more nervous. You tugged on your wrist, wanting it back but he didn't let go. Dino smiled a bright smile and bent to your eye level. You looked to the side, avoiding his gaze. Dino grinned his usual smile when he saw you beginning to pout without you, yourself even noticing. He leaned in and pecked you on the forehead. He grinned at your red face and said, "There, now we're even."

...

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	3. I'm Alright Now

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Gokudera: I'm Alright Now

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You were in Horticulture class, sweeping the leaves away from the flowers plants along the walls of Namimori Middle School when you heard a _thump._ You looked up and saw something falling.

"What…AH~!" You screamed when none other than Gokudera Hayato fell onto the bushes next to you. You immediately knew it was him when you saw a flash of his silver hair. He landed with an "Oof!" and groaned in pain.

"H-Hayato? Are you alright?" You asked, slowly approaching him. You looked up again in case anybody else decided to fall from the sky. You caught a glimpse of Hibari on the third floor. You frowned in confusion.

"Damn Hibari," Gokudera scowled, sitting up.

You squatted next to him. "What happened, Hayato?"

He sighed, "Freakin' Hibari decided to throw me out the window."

"What did you do?" you asked accusingly. Then you remembered something. "Ah! Get up, get up!" you shouted at Gokudera. "You're going to kill the poor bushes. Flowers are supposed to grow here, you know!"

"Woah!" he yelped when you threw him aside.

"Hey! _(Name)_! What's your problem?" Gokudera yelled. "What about me? I just got thrown out the freakin' window of the freakin' third floor!" He couldn't believe you worried more about the plants than his own injuries.

You looked at him and smiled. "Sorry, Hayato. You're okay though, right?"

He scowled, "Of course. Who do you think I am?"

"See? So what are you complaining about?" You laughed. You saw him frown. Now he seemed to be sulking a little; and it was obviously because of you. "Okay, I'm really, really sorry, okay? Here," you moved closer to him and pecked him on the cheek. "Better?" you asked, blushing a little.

His eyes grew wide and his face turned red. "Che," he said, quickly turning his head away from you. He mumbled something incoherently.

"…What? Did you say something?" you asked questionably.

"I'm fine now, alright?" Gokudera repeated. He huffed out more incoherencies.

You stared at him, then giggled. "Okay. I'm glad."

...

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This is for **shizu Fumikari** :D


	4. Working For You

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Giotto: Working For You

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You ran out into the garden. By now, you were freaking out; panicking even. Where was he? Where was your boss? What could he possibly be doing?

"Master G-Giotto!" your voice broke.

You pushed through some trees and bushes: a shortcut to a secluded place in the back of the garden. You saw something, walked over and sighed. Finally, you found him. You rushed over to him but stopped when you saw his peaceful expression.

He was sleeping on top of some bushes. Small leaves were stuck in his blond hair and all over his clothes. You saw he was sleeping in his fancy clothes: suit, cape, everything. You looked at him worriedly. His clothes will be ruined!

"Master Giotto! Please. Wake up, Master!" You shook him lightly as you kneeled beside him. He stirred a little. "Master Giotto," you whined, "the meetings about to start!"

He opened his eyes tiredly and looked at you. "Ah," he mumbled. "I don't want to go. It's boring there," he sighed, turning away from you.

"Master Giotto! Get up!" you insisted. You were, after all, his assistant/attendant. You always did your best to help your boss. "Your clothes will be ruined!"

He turned to you. "Says you. Look at what you're wearing. You're going to ruin your pretty dress," he retorted, smirking slightly.

You blushed, embarrassed. "…The meeting's going to start without you, Master Giotto," you repeated.

"…Fine. I'll go, I'll go," he said, unwillingly. He got up slowly, the bushes rustling beneath him. He brushed the leaves from his pants.

"See? You got leaves all over you. Why did you decide to sleep here? And in such clothes," you scolded. He sighed as you brushed the leaves off his cape. "Look, there's even leaves in your hair." You reached out to take them out, then patted his hair for anymore that were hiding. You heard him chuckle. You looked up at him.

"There are leaves in your hair as well, _(Name)_," Giotto said. He took out the leaf that got caught in a lock of your hair. He watched as you smoothed out your hair, not wanting it to be messy.

Giotto took a lock of your hair and brought it to his lips. "Thanks," he said softly, while gazing at you. "I'll be going now. See you after the meeting." He gave you a dazzling smile before gracefully walking away.

You watched him leave, feeling your cheeks go increasingly warm. He seemed like such a gentleman, and yet…

You covered your face with your hands out of embarrassment.

You were in love with a mafia boss.

...

..

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This is for **Saia Kittyfish **!


	5. Scared

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Tsuna: Scared

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Tsuna sighed as he carried you to your room. You fell asleep during the party that was still going on downstairs and he figured he should bring you to your room while waiting for the party to end. You fell asleep for whatever reason (he didn't know) and didn't wake up at all for the next three hours. He didn't see you even flinch at the loud noises occurring around you.

Shouted arguments. No response.

Party poppers. No response.

Horrified screaming. No response.

Gunshots. Nothing.

He would've thought you were dead if you weren't breathing. You stirred a little, but didn't waken when he moved to carry you.

Tsuna walked down the hall, holding you in his somewhat scrawny arms. He opened the door to your room, turned the lights on, and walked over to your bed. He slipped the covers out and set you down. Bringing the covers up, he noticed you stir a little. Tsuna panicked a little and decided to leave before you caught him. He carefully tip-toed away and was about to turn the lights off when he heard your voice say, "…Don't turn off the lights…please."

He slowly turned to look at you. You were looking at him, sleepily. _Aw, shoot_, he thought. Then he furrowed his eyebrows a little, confused at what you had said. "U-um, _(Name)_-chan?" he asked inquiringly, tilting his head.

You turned your body to face him. "…I'm scared of the dark," you admitted. "Will you stay with me? Until I fall asleep?" you asked, pleadingly.

Tsuna looked at you. "U-um, sure. Alright," Tsuna walked over to a chair in your room and sat down.

"I'm sorry. I just feel really scared right now…" you mumbled.

"Ah! It must be because of that scary movie you saw last night! I told you not to watch it, _(Name)_-chan!" Tsuna exclaimed.

"I know. I should have listened. If I had known... It's just that Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun…" you stopped and muffled (sort of screamed) the rest into your pillow.

"Eh…just try to sleep now." Tsuna smiled warmly at you.

And you did. …Well, you tried, anyway. Your eyes were closed, but sleep didn't even come close to taking over for a whole hour. You opened your eyes and saw that Tsuna was still there. His eyes were closed.

You felt bad. He was probably tired and you were selfishly making him keep you company just because you were scared of a little darkness. "Tsuna-kun?" you called.

He blinked a couple of times and looked at you. "…What is it, _(Name)_-chan?"

"You can leave now, if you want. Thanks for the company," you said.

"Ah, no. It's fine. Really," Tsuna insisted. He realized you thought he was tired.

"But you're sleepy, aren't you?" you asked. He shook his head no and gave you a small smile. "…Then you can rest here, if you want. I don't mind." You patted the space next to you. You had a big and spacious bed, after all - there was more than enough room.

"Eh? I-I don't think I should," he stuttered nervously.

"Please? It will help me sleep faster," you said, trying to persuade him. _Probably_, you thought.

He hesitated and walked over to your bed. He slipped the covers over his body and faced you. A blush was evident on his face.

You smiled. "Thanks, Tsuna-kun," you said as your eyelids fluttered closed.

You felt you could finally sleep now. Tsuna really helped you overcome the darkness. He was like the sun…but, that's right…he's the sky. But perhaps that's better?

The warm and comforting sky…

It didn't matter, you decided. You knew one thing.

He was much brighter than that lamp in the corner of your room.

...

..


	6. One Rainy Night

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Yamamoto: One Rainy Night

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Oh, how unpredictable the weather can be. It seemed fine this morning, though a little cloudy but with the unpredictable weather of the area, you thought it'd clear up and be as sunny as it was yesterday.

It was already raining when the bell rang to go home, and it seemed you were the only without an umbrella. Others braved it and ran out in the rain. How you wished you had done that. Now it was pouring harder and its gotten late. How stupid to think you could wait it out. How long has it been already?

You stood at the entrance of the school, staring at the rain dreadfully. The sky was covered in dark, gloomy clouds. Was it nighttime already? It could be, but the clouds made it look really dark. Now what? Should you run? But, oh, how you would curse the world if the rain decided to stop the moment you walk out. You shook the thought out of your head. You didn't want to jinx yourself.

"Huh? _(Name)_?" You turned to see who had called you. You saw Yamamoto in his sweats, walking towards you. He laughed. "It is you! What a coincidence!"

"You were still here, Yamamoto?" you asked.

He nodded. "Yup! I was practicing my swings!" You noticed water was dripping from his hair.

"…You were?" you questioned. "But it's raining…wait, you were practicing in the rain this whole time?" you exclaimed in disbelief.

He grinned enthusiastically. "Yeah. I have to practice everyday. I practice in any weather if I have to." You suddenly thought of Ryohei, thinking he would do the same thing. "It was only a light rain at first so I didn't mind and ignored it, but then it started raining harder. I tried to keep at it but I thought I might get sick later, so I stopped." He laughed, pulling up the collar of his sweat jacket.

"Oh," you mumbled. "I…was waiting for the rain to stop," you said, lamely.

"Hmm? You don't have an umbrella? Want to share mine?" Yamamoto smiled, holding up the umbrella you didn't notice he was holding.

You hesitated. It'd be foolish to turn him down after waiting hours for the rain to stop. This was your chance to finally go home where it was warm and cozy. You looked up at Yamamoto, smiling shyly, "I'd be happy to. If you don't mind, that is."

He grinned his usual grin and stepped out, holding the umbrella up for you. "I don't mind. C'mon."

"…Thanks," you said, nervously. You both made your way off school grounds, walking close. He didn't say anything as he walked you to your house. You felt awkward and nervous sharing the same umbrella as the popular baseball star. Normally, if it were someone else, you'd probably talk to them and make conversation but this was Yamamoto. Also, it was partly the rain's fault - it made you kind of gloomy.

If only it hadn't rained, you wouldn't be in this situation. You knew you were troubling him. He probably wanted to go home, too, after all. You sighed and mumbled, "I hate the rain."

"Why?" You heard Yamamoto's voice ask you. You looked up at him. He was looking at you, curiously. "The rain isn't all that bad."

"Huh?" you questioned. He just shrugged and laughed it off. The two of you chatted about random stuff the rest of the way: baseball games, at what times of the day you drink milk, food, etc.

It seemed somehow the ice was broken. And you were grateful.

"That's my house. Over there," you said, pointing. He walked you to your front door since it was still raining. You thanked him, marveling at his kindness.

He smiled, "No problem, _(Name)_." You blushed when he tucked some loose strands of hair behind your ear. "I didn't like the rain at first either…but after today," he was grinning now, "I don't think the rain is all that bad."

...

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For **80yamamoto **:D


	7. A Greeting

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Byakuran: A Greeting

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You first met him on the first day of your new job. He was your boss (supposedly) but all you knew was his name.

Before your fateful encounter, you had nervously asked a couple of guards where you were supposed to meet him. They escorted you through the base down many halls and around many corners. It was then that you saw two people in the hallway. One of the guards pointed out which was Byakuran. You followed the direction he was pointing and saw him. He had white hair though he looked young. He was talking to someone. With both guards beside you, you waited patiently for their conversation to conclude. Your eyes never left his figure.

Byakuran smiled enthusiastically at the person and with a smile watched as the other left. They were finally done talking. He turned around and stopped when he caught sight of you. You blinked. He just smiled back and strode towards you. "Hello there. And who are you?" he asked, tilting his head, the smile never leaving his face.

"She was at the front desk. Said she's new," one of the guards said.

"Ah, alright. You're dismissed now," Byakuran said with a wave of his hand. You watched the guards bow and leave. He looked at you and smiled his charismatic smile.

You found yourself blushing. "Uhm, my name's _(full name)_," you introduced.

"Well then, _(Name)_-chan," Byakuran bubbled, "Good luck on your first day. Work hard, ok?"

"Yes, sir…" you answered, unsurely. He seemed like such a peculiar boss. Different, that's for sure.

He chuckled. "_(Name)_-chan's really cute!"

You were taken aback as heat rushed to your cheeks. You stuttered, "W-what? A-are you…" You mind screamed what you didn't finish: ARE YOU JOKING?

He continued to smile, saying nothing as your face grew redder and redder. You saw his face brighten up as if he just came up with an idea. "Hey, _(Name)_-chan? Can I kiss you?"

Shock swept over your body and you became tense. "N-no! You can't!" you blurted, immediately snapping out of your stupor.

"Eh~!" he said, an innocent expression on his face. He smiled immediately, "Well~! That's too bad!"

"Huh? Wa-!" He quickly pecked you on the lips and grinned triumphantly. You covered your mouth with your hands and took a wobbly step back. "Why'd you do that?" you squeaked out, embarrassed.

He looked at you, his purple eyes flickering with mischief. "It's a greeting," he stated with a smile.

"Greeting…" you repeated, mumbling.

"Yup! Anyways, I'll give you a tour of the base and introduce you to the leading officers," he bubbled. He led the way down a hall while humming a tune. He was in a much happier mood now.

...

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The next chapter is a sequel~!


	8. Sweet Marshmallows

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Byakuran: Sweet Marshmallows

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You knocked on your boss' door. You entered when you heard a "come in".

"Byakuran-sama?" you called. You walked in and stood near the couch your boss was sitting on. His bag of marshmallows were on the coffee table in front of him.

"_(Name)_-chan!" he smiled. You gave him a small smile as he popped another marshmallow into his mouth. "What's up?"

"Well, Irie-sama said he's been trying to contact you. He said you're ignoring him on purpose…" you drawled, knowing that's exactly what he's been doing.

Byakuran laughed. "Sho-chan is too uptight. He's contacted me enough this past week already." He sighed, "And it's only Tuesday."

"Byakuran-sama, you have to return Irie-sama's messages," you said.

"But Sho-chan keeps nagging me~!" Byakuran huffed out, letting his head fall back on he couch.

You sweat-dropped. "Maybe it's because you don't do your work…?" you suggested.

Byakuran looked at you and shrugged. "Maybe. Ah," he said, realizing he was out of marshmallows. He got up and rummaged around in his desk, humming while doing so. "Here we go!" He smiled when he found more marshmallows.

"Um, Byakuran-sama? I've been wondering this for a while, but why do you like marshmallows so much?"

He looked at you while smiling. "Because it's sweet."

"Huh?" you questioned. You knew he wasn't that much of a fan of sweet things.

He chuckled. "How do I say this… it reminds me of you."

You reddened. "What do you mean?" you asked. You and marshmallows? Was he implying you were sweet? You became frustrated with his carefree smile and laidback attitude as he simply smiled in return. You couldn't tell if it was a joke or not.

"The taste," he started, while popping yet another marshmallow in his mouth, "is almost the same as yours."

"What are you talking about?" you exclaimed, embarrassed. He laughed at your reaction. Again, you tried to figure out if it was a joke.

"Don't you remember the first time we met, _(Name)_-chan?" Byakuran tilted his head innocently.

You became silent, recalling what happened only a few years ago. You blinked and couldn't believe you forgot.

"Y-you said that was a greeting!" you pointed accusingly.

"It was," he smirked, "sort of."

"Hey!" you shouted.

"Well, it's not like I go around 'greeting' everyone. How creepy." He laughed. He took several steps so that he was directly in front of you. "So now that you know, I don't feel like using marshmallows as a substitute for you anymore."

"Substitute?" you questioned. "…All this time?"

He just tilted his head and smiled.

...

..

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Requested by** shizu Fumikari**


	9. Candy

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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(25-year-old)Lambo: Candy

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You were in the kitchen eating your late breakfast. Your breakfast consisted of nothing more than a bowl of cereal.

You saw Lambo enter the kitchen. He looked at you and said, "Hey."

You grinned widely, "Hi. What's up?"

He shrugged and said in his low voice, "I was training with the other guardians." Then he sighed. "Gokudera-san went too hard on me. Honestly."

You smiled, "Glad it went well."

"Mm-hm." The sound rumbled in his throat. He took a seat next to you and tiredly slouched against the chair.

You snuck a glance at him. You've often thought he changed a lot in recent years. He's definitely matured. There was also one thing you definitely noticed.

He looks cooler.

You've known him for more than 10 years now, and he's never been as cool as he was now.

Not planning on telling him that he was pretty or any of that sort you quickly directed your attention to your cereal. "You want some cereal, Lambo?" you offered.

"Ah. No thanks, _(Name)_," he said in his deep voice. "I don't really eat cereal anymore. I'm no longer a kid."

"…What's wrong with cereal?" you mumbled. All ages eat cereal, right? "Oh. That reminds me," you took something out of your pocket, "I've got candy. You want it? I thought you'd like it." You saw him perk up and stare at the wrapped piece of hard candy in your hand. "Unless, of course, you think you're too old to be eating sweets like candy," you teased, smiling.

He frowned. "That's not funny."

"It is," you replied, a foolish grin plastered on your face.

He stared at you before saying, "I want it. Give me." His hand was outstretched, waiting.

"Hmm," you said as if you were deep in thought, wanting to annoy him.

"_(Name)_!" he said. It almost sounded like he was whining. "I want the candy!"

"I'll give it to you on one condition: You have to buy me dinner tonight! I'm broke," you smiled, hopeful.

"Fine, fine. May I have the candy now?" Lambo huffed out exasperatedly.

"Sure!" you gave it to him and he smiled happily. He slouched over and rested his head in his arms, now content with the sweet in his mouth.

You moved closer to poke him. "Hey, I've got more candy if you want some more, okay?"

"Ah~ really?" His mouth twitched upwards, "Can I have all the candy I want?"

You laughed. You had already known that he hadn't overcome his love of sweets, even now.

...

..

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**For pochukitten**. :D


	10. Like Everyone Else

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Xanxus: Like Everyone Else

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"Xanxus!" you called, searching the castle. "Xanxus!" you yelled louder. You heard bangs from outside. Loud yells and gunshots could be heard distinctly. You came across the great hall. It was wide and spacious - and there, you saw Xanxus walking down a hall on the other side, his back to you. "Xanxus!" You ran over to him. You felt like a broken record; calling his name so often.

His rough voice grumbled in irritation, "Shut up, you annoying woman." He stopped but didn't turn to look at you.

"Send me to the front lines!" you said. "Let me help! I can't just let the other Varia members fight a life-or-death battle outside while I'm stuck here!"

"No." His voice was firm and there was a finality in his voice. He had this talk with you earlier but you persisted. You persisted knowing you could hold your own against him. You could never beat him and you could only last about two minutes at most against him, but holding your own was still something to be accredited for.

"Let me go, Xanxus!" you shouted. You were furious. You wanted to help, but staying inside was definitely not the way to do it.

"You trash," he started lowly, "Do as I tell you. Know your place!" His voice was harsh and threatening.

You took a step back, faltering. You frowned and slowly regained your courage. "No! I'm going and you can't stop me!" you shouted and turned to leave.

Xanxus turned and grabbed your arm before you could even take a step. You glared at him, knowing he was going to stop you. He returned your glare with more intensity than yours could ever give off and tightened his grip on your arm. "You're not going anywhere," he growled out.

Again, his grip tightened and you winced slightly as the pain started to take affect on your nerves. You ignored it and argued, "I can fight! Let me fight with them!" You silently pleaded, _Let me be useful!_

"Woman," he glowered. His other hand started glowing faintly. You tensed, scared. It would soon be dangerous if he decided to use his flame to fight you.

You looked into his eyes. "Why?" you shouted. "Why don't you _ever_ send me to the front lines? Why don't you ever send me to fight, Xanxus? I can do my missions just as obediently as Levi! As perfect as Squalo! As skillfully as Bel!" You stopped for breath but you continued to glare at Xanxus. He made you feel weak. Never letting you do the dangerous tasks, keeping you inside - it was like he thought you were not strong enough. Like you couldn't handle them. He made you feel useless.

You knew you could do it...so why? "Why?" you asked. "Why don't you treat me like everyone else?" you asked angrily. "You throw others out there knowing they're going to die! What about me? Am I more useless than them? Am I not worth a try for the success of the mission?" The last part almost came out as a sob, but you weren't going to cry.

Xanxus let go of your arm. "Idiot," he said in a low voice. "This mission doesn't need you."

You took a step back. "…It's not fair. I wish I were like everyone else. Like everyone outside fighting."

Xanxus turned his back to you. "Leave and face the consequences, trash." You immediately ran out of the hall while Xanxus continued on his way in the opposite direction.

He glared ahead, hating everybody and everything - especially you. "If you were like everyone else," he muttered, "I wouldn't have fallen for you."

...

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This is for **wobbly wobbly woo**.


	11. A Snowy Night Visitor

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

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Gokudera: A Snowy Night Visitor

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It was like any other night. You had finished your homework and were in your room now. You spaced out while lying on your bed, not exactly ready to sleep. You sat up, startled, when you heard a knock. It didn't sound like it came from your door but you got up to check anyway.

You opened it cautiously and found no one there. You checked the hallway. Empty. You quickly shut the door and surveyed your room. Where did that knock come from?

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

There it was again. You stiffened and tried to rationalize with yourself that it was nothing. Nothing was going to hurt you. Nothing is going to get you.

You frowned, watching your room for any sudden movement before slowly walking over to your window. It probably came from there. If you thought about it, it sounded like knocking on glass.

You slowly pushed the curtains and gasped, holding in a scream. Quickly coming to your senses, you unlatched the window to start yelling at the person for scaring you. "Gokudera!"

"Geez, I thought you'd never open that window," Gokudera scowled.

You ignored him. "What are you doing here?" You whispered angrily, though you weren't. "You scared me!" You noted him sitting on the roof leveled with your window. It was snowing so he was wearing earmuffs, gloves, and a hoodie.

You decided to bombard him with questions. "Look, I know I'm slow and all…so could you help me to understand WHY you climbed the roof? Why didn't you use the door like a normal person? Ah, and it's cold outside!" you continued to ramble. "Why don't you come inside?"

"Nah, it's okay. Just came to visit," he replied coolly.

"Are you sure?" you asked, concerned.

He didn't say anything and turned away from you. You stared at the back of his head as seconds passed in silence. Then, he spoke, "I heard you're going out of the country for vacation with your family. For Christmas…"

"Yes, I am," you confirmed. You didn't really have much of a choice, but you didn't hate it.

"And it's Christmas soon…" Gokudera pointed out, trailing off. He still didn't turn to look at you.

"…Yes?" you answered, quizzically. You furrowed your eyebrows, confused.

"…I've got something to give you." He finally turned to you. "Here." He took your hand and dropped a small box into it. He quickly turned away again, his back facing you.

Your eyes grew wide. "Y-you got me a present? I…There's no way I can just accept this Gokudera!" Your face went warm.

"Just take it. I bought it for _you,"_ he said, sternly. He added, "You don't have to use it. You can give it away even; I'm just not taking it back."

You decided to keep it without a second thought. "Th-then, thank you!" you said, happily. You haven't even opened it yet, but you were happy because you got a present from Gokudera. At this point you didn't care what it was. Gokudera scoffed, leaning on your window sill. You tugged the ribbon off and opened the lid of the box. You gasped at what was inside.

It was a beautiful necklace; a silver heart, lined with tiny white stones and a flat heart-shaped stone in the middle. You took it out and held it in your hands. Your eyes twinkled, instantly falling in love with the object. You noticed something and your breath stopped. It was a locket. You pried it open, smiling, "Thank you so much Gokudera!" You said it a little too loudly and you blushed when he turned his head to shush you, holding a finger up to his lips, frowning.

"Be quiet. I don't want anyone to know I'm here, alright?" he said, dryly.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to!" you said in a hushed whisper.

He looked at you over his shoulder and smirked. "Well, I better go now. See you."

"Ah, wait!" you called before grabbing him into a hug. "Thanks again! I really love it!" you said before letting go. You smiled at him, blushing embarrassedly.

He was looking at you, shocked and speechless. He struggled to regain his composure. "Uhm, anyway, you should get inside. It's really cold out, _(Name)_." He placed a hand on your window, "Close it now, and make sure to lock it, understand?"

You grinned and nodded. You moved to slide the window shut as he slid to the edge of your roof and jumped to the ground, out of sight. "Merry Christmas, Gokudera!" you called out before closing the space left between the windows.

You laughed at the last thing you heard: "Shush, woman! Jeez!"

...

..

* * *

For the Gokudera lovers out there...lol


	12. Knowing Why

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Warning: Some (or a lot) of inappropriate language here and there. (Rated: T)

And there's a couple of implied...confessions...towards the ending, but you should get it ;)

* * *

Squalo: Knowing Why

* * *

You were in your room, looking through an old book, bored.

That is, until the door to your room slammed open courtesy of Squalo.

You screamed. "What's wrong with you? Don't you know how to knock?"

"Shut up, you little shit! You have to attend the meeting with the others right now!" Squalo shouted at you. You flinched at his loud voice.

"Alright! I got it!" you yelled back, covering your ears.

"And hurry up!" With that, Superbi Squalo left your room, slamming the door, leaving you to glare at the spot he was once standing.

. . .

You ran to the usual meeting room. Squalo told you to hurry up but you didn't realize it was starting in just ten seconds. How long did he think a person needed to get ready? Your room was pretty far, too. You started to fret, worrying about the consequences you were about to face. You only hoped the Boss was in a good mood and would let you live.

You reached the door and opened it; only to be thrown back out and slammed into the opposite wall. You crashed through, making a rather large hole, causing debris and dust to blur your vision. You winced in pain. You reluctantly looked up to see Xanxus towering over you, eyes full of malice. "Useless trash." His voice was dangerously harsh.

So much for being in a good mood. This just _had_ to be your lucky day.

You saw him pick up a rock. Your stomach knotted. Great, now he was going to beat you with a rock.

You shut your eyes, unable to form words as Xanxus raised his arm to put you out of your misery.

You waited for the pain for what seemed like a decade. When no pain or sound came, you opened your eyes to find Squalo standing in between you and Xanxus. Only one thought came to mind: What happened?

Xanxus smirked sadistically, finding something amusing and rather laughable. "What is it, Squalo? Have something to say?" His rough voice was almost threatening, willing Squalo to oppose him further.

"Stop this, Xanxus," Squalo said, trying to control himself and restrain his anger. "She didn't do anything."

"This piece of trash can't even obey simple orders. She's useless and of no importance. Nothing will happen if she becomes eliminated," Xanxus said, lowly. He glared menacingly at Squalo.

Squalo said nothing as he glared back. "_(Name)_," he said, without looking at you, "Leave."

You were startled to be suddenly addressed, but you quickly did as you were told. Neither of them looked at you as you scurried away.

"Why are you protecting that scum?" Xanxus demanded.

"Bastard, that's none of your business!" Squalo retorted.

There was a heavy silence as neither said anything further. Then, Xanxus gave a small "humph" and smirked.

. . .

You were in the kitchen now, sitting at the dining table, when Bel, Mammon, and Lussuria entered. A look of surprise passed through their faces but it quickly disappeared. They had, after all, been watching the whole scene earlier. You just hadn't noticed amidst the chaos. It was the highlight of the day as it spread like wildfire around the whole mansion of the Varia headquarters.

"Interesting show there, _(Name)_," Bel praised. "Amazing how you survived." He laughed his 'shishishi' laugh as he opened up the refrigerator.

"Mm-hmm~! Not at the least bit boring~!" Lussuria commented, excitedly.

You bit your lip. "…Why did he …help me?" you asked them. You stared at each of their faces. They looked at you like you were stupid.

But Mammon wanted to take this opportunity to insult you. "Such obliviousness…" he said, astounded.

"You really don't know, little girl?" Bel smirked widely. They exchanged glances, knowing it was to be expected.

"Hmm~! Why don't you just go ask him yourself!" Lussuria suggested. He ushered you out the door and waved before slamming the door in your face.

You sighed. You wanted an answer.

You needed an answer.

So you ran and went straight for Superbi Squalo's room. You were worried about him, anyway. You didn't know what happened after you left. He could've died even though the other Varia members never said so.

You stopped in front of his door. You suddenly felt nervous. You knocked on the door anyway and took a deep breath. There was no answer. You knocked again and listened for any movement from the other side. You frowned, leaning in slightly. Nothing; it was quiet. Even the door was locked. You panicked. Maybe he really did die. You shook the stupid thought away. No, maybe he just wasn't in his room. Maybe he just went out to train or something.

But you really believed he was in his room; you wanted to check, so you persisted. You knocked louder. "Squalo?" you called. "Are you in there?" You kept knocking. You didn't know when, but you were now banging on the door. "Squalo! Squalo, open up!" You were yelling now. "Squalo!"

"HOLD UP FOR ONE GODDAMN SECOND!" A loud voice came from the other side of the door. You didn't know how relieved you were to hear the voice of that swearing Italian.

The door slammed open to reveal a pissed off Squalo, shouting, "VOOOI!" He was giving off a murderous aura as he glared down at you. "What the fuck do you want, woman?"

"…I…I thought you had died!" You exclaimed, just realizing you were on the brink of tears.

Squalo scoffed. "Of course not! The hell do you think I am?" He turned to go back into his room with you following close behind. "I'm not a shitty weakling."

You felt your heart sink. He was probably referring to you. You stood at your spot in the midst of his dark room, looking at your feet.

"Now go away! I'm busy," Squalo ostracized. You glanced around the room and noticed the bandage on his upper arm and a dirtied bandage on a table. He walked over to you and pushed you toward the door.

"Wait," you started. "I wanted to ask you something."

You saw Squalo frown. "Make it fast."

"…Why did you help me?" you asked, hesitantly. You glanced up as his face. His expression was unreadable. He took firm steps towards you, moving so close you thought he wasn't going to stop - causing you to back up against the wall.

He leaned in to your eye level and said, "The fuck do you think?"

Your face went hot from the proximity, unable to speak or respond.

Squalo probably took your silence as a sign of stupidity as he sighed and stepped back. "Why did you come here? It can't be for something as stupid as that."

You quickly regained composure and looked up to find him analyzing your face. You frowned slightly and thought two could play this game. "You should know why, Squalo."

Surprise flickered in his eyes but you didn't get a chance to clearly distinguish it when he turned away from you. "Leave," was all he said.

You let your head droop slightly, sulkily. "Stupid Squalo," you mumbled before running out of his room.

Squalo ran a hand through his hair tiredly and sighed. "Stupid woman."

...

..

* * *

Requested by **Crimson Cupcake**.


	13. Secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Fran: Secrets

* * *

"Fran~! You're so cute!" You smiled. "Can I hug you?"

"No way, you ugly girl," Fran said in his usual monotonous voice. "Besides, what are you talking about? Saying that in the middle of a mission…"

"It's boring waiting out here," you replied, restless. You were sitting on a tree branch, legs hanging, while Fran squatted beside you.

"Ah~ I agree…but Bel-sempai said not to let our guards down," Fran said, staring at you blankly.

"But I doubt the enemies will get past Lussuria and Squalo, and then Levi and Bel. We're just the last level of defense before they get to the Boss," you sighed.

"So boring~" Fran mumbled. "Ne, let's play a game."

"A game? What kind?" you asked, interested.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the trees rustled. Your heads snapped up when a figure blurred past you overhead. You watched as the enemy escaped further toward the mansion where Xanxus was.

"…Uh-oh," you breathed, paling as the worst possible outcomes whirled around your head.

"Nuts," Fran mumbled as he watched the quickly fading figure. He turned to look at you. "Boss is gonna get pissed." His expression was both calm and amused.

"Yeah," you agreed, nodding dumbly. You blinked when you heard a boom from the mansion. You wondered what Xanxus was going to do as punishment if he found out you just let him through - especially without a fight. You weren't worried about Xanxus. Heavens, no. He can take care of himself, so you didn't worry. There was only one thing you were thinking about… "I wonder if I'll finally get in trouble with the Boss," you wondered out loud.

It was odd how you somehow managed to stay out of trouble for so long. You hadn't gotten into any trouble or had been punished at all by Xanxus - it was strange.

You watched in awe as another boom came from the building and a blast erupted on the side, causing smoke to rise up and cloud the sky.

"VOOOI!" Squalo shouted. "What the hell, brats? How the hell could you let the enemy get past you so easily?" He fumed as he landed on a nearby branch. "You bitches are dead!" He would've killed both you and Fran himself if Lussuria hadn't held him back, trying to calm him down.

"Ah. Sorry, sempai. We let our guards down," Fran explained with nonchalance.

"Tsk, tsk, kouhai," Bel sneered. "How disappointing." You saw him emerge from the same direction as Squalo had, along with Levi, each landing on a tree branch.

"Well, how did they get past you, Bel-sempai?" Fran questioned, raising a brow.

"I don't want to hear any wise-cracks from you, you un-cute kouhai," Bel retorted. "There was quite a lot of them, after all. Only one managed to get through, and you couldn't even stop him! How could _you_ just let him through?"

"Ahh." Fran stared at Bel and put a finger to his chin. "A mystery."

"VOOOI!" Everyone flinched. "Enough! You bastards, shut up! Let's get a move on to see what the Bastard-of-a-Boss destroyed this time," Squalo yelled over his shoulder as he hopped from one branch to another.

Bel 'hmphed' and said, "Fine. Besides, I'm not the one Boss is going to kill." He laughed as he followed after Squalo.

You glanced at Fran who wordlessly trailed behind the assassin group. You followed as well, skillfully jumping from branch to branch as a result from much practice.

. . .

Squalo successfully dodged a glass that was thrown at him courtesy of Xanxus. Sitting on his throne, legs crossed, and fist holding up his head, he glared at his fuming second-in-command. He growled, "Who the fuck," his eyes suddenly darted to you, but you were looking at the ground, "was the one who let the enemy through?"

His voice made you uneasy. Fear crawled up your spine and throat, making you unable to form words. You paled when he hissed out your name.

"_(Name)_," he said, dangerously. "What the fuck were you doing?" When you didn't answer, he muttered hoarsely, "Fucking useless." He kicked some ruble away and scoffed. "Everyone. Get out. Now." With that, everyone dispersed to their rooms.

Later that day, you left your room to go find something to do. On your way, you bumped into Levi.

"Ah, _(Name)_," he muttered in his rough, rather awkward voice. "How did it go?" You looked at him quizzically. "When you got called to see the Boss…what did he say to you?"

"Um, what are you talking about? He didn't…" you trailed off, contemplating.

"You were supposed to go see him." He frowned. "Never mind." He brushed past you, deciding he didn't really care, and briskly walked away.

You just crossed your arms and continued on your way, confused. You turned a corner and ran into Fran. "Sorry…F-Fran? What happened?" you exclaimed when you saw his bruised cheek.

"Ah." He touched his cheek and waved it off. "Nothing, really," he said nonchalantly. He strode by you, resuming his way down the hall. You frowned suspiciously at his back.

"Fran, you've been the one keeping me from getting in trouble, haven't you?" you said as you ran after him.

He stopped and turned to look at you. "…What makes you think that?"

You shrugged. "You're not denying it," you pointed out. "…Why?" you questioned. "How have you been doing it?"

A small smile made its way to his face. "That's a secret."

. . .

. .

* * *

This was requested by **musicpunkgodess**


	14. Whose Birthday?

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Bel: Whose Birthday?

* * *

You sleepily made your way out of your room. You trudged through the Varia hideout in a simple T-shirt and sweatpants.

It was always a little embarrassing when the other Varia members saw you in your pajamas. Now you always just throw something on even when you weren't going anywhere.

You entered the kitchen and noticed Lussuria humming as he was slicing some vegetables. He looked at you and beamed. "_(Name)_! Morning, dear-y!"

You grinned, "Good morning! How are you?" Taking a seat at the table, you leaned back and yawned tiredly.

"Fine, fine," he answered enthusiastically. "My, my. So are you going to be doing anything special today, sweetie?"

"Umm," you mumbled thoughtfully. "No, I don't think so." He glanced at you with an odd, surprised face. You frowned, a little confused. "Why?"

"Mm, nothing really~!" He answered in a sing-song voice.

"Well I didn't really plan anything today so…" you trailed off and started getting up from your seat to leave. "Well I'm going to go watch TV now. See you around!" You waved with a smile, bidding him goodbye.

"Bye-bye~!" he bid in his high-pitched voice.

You walked through the numerous hallways and passed Levi-A-Than, Squalo, and Fran on your way. You had short conversations with each of them but as they parted with you, each of them mentioned something about _not_ wanting to meet up later, which you thought was odd.

You entered the living room and saw Bel, lazing away on the couch, watching TV. He leaned on the arm rest at the edge and was in his usual, 'princely' pose: a leg stretched out, the other bent up. You sat next to him and noted his bored expression as he watched the screen that attached to the wall.

"Hey, Bel?" you called.

"Yes, _(Name)_?" His indifferent expression turned into an interested one as he turned his attention to you.

"Were we supposed to do something in particular today?" you asked as you recalled the unusual conversations you had with the other Varia members.

The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a grin. "What's this? You don't know?"

Your face gave away your thoughts. Puzzled, you asked, "What don't I know? Tell me!" You stared at him, expecting an answer. "What's today?"

He snickered, "Shishishi, well, princess…today is a birthday." He moved to lean on the coffee table in front of you, his grin getting wider.

"Huh? Whose?" you exclaimed, surprised.

He thought for a moment, contemplating whether he should tell you or not. Then, he leaned in close to your face, "It's _your_ birthday, _(Name)_." Your face was blank, you spoke slowly, "…It is?"

"Shishishi. You're so funny, princess."

You thought carefully, recalling the date. Your head seemed to have made a clicking sound. It _is_ your birthday. You actually forgot your own birthday. You only mumbled an, "Oh."

Bel snickered again. "Would you like your birthday gift, princess?" You looked up to see a mischievous smirk on his face. He leaned in much too close to your face. You could feel his breath, causing your face to turn a cherry red.

"W-what do you… m-mean?" you stuttered nervously, not sure if you really wanted to know.

He quickly closed the gap between your faces, his lips meeting yours. You froze and shut your eyes, not knowing what to do. You were obviously surprised and your mind went completely blank. However, you started to enjoy the warm, happy feeling that was spreading throughout your body.

You soon found that you couldn't breathe anymore and broke the kiss for air. Your face went hot when you realized what you had just done. Then, you looked at Bel accusingly. "Y-You…you," you said in between breaths, "how could you…steal a kiss from me?"

"Heh, looks like I get a present, too," he smirked, satisfied. "Happy birthday, princess."

. . .

. .

* * *

Confused? Haha. Good.


	15. Dreaming Images

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Mukuro: Dreaming Images

* * *

You dreamt so many dreams. So many dreams of him - the same boy, every night.

It bothered you. You didn't even know him. He, on the other hand, always talked to you like he's known you his whole life. He even knew your name.

In your dreams, it sort of surprised you that you talked to him normally, as well. No questions asked, no doubts or concerns. You talked to him unafraid and fearlessly, like he was no stranger. Like you also knew him your whole life.

But the thing was, he _was_ a stranger. You didn't know him. His name, his age, his life - you knew none of that. How was it that you could casually talk to him in your dreams? Why was it that it wasn't until you woke up that you realize how wrong it was, how…unnatural it was, to talk to a stranger? Even if it was only in a dream.

Now, this confused you. This person was only in your dreams. You were sure you've never met or seen him before.

Who was he? The strange, blue-haired boy you knew you were slowly falling in love with…

. . .

You looked around. It was sunny, and a little too bright. Like your last dream, you were somewhere you've never been to before. _He_ was also there, smiling at you. You heard your name. "_(Name)_," he greeted, smiling sweetly. It may have been your imagination but you thought he said your name with a gentle, caring tone.

What a realistic dream this was.

He called your name again with the same gentle tone.

You smiled and ran to him. "Hello again," you said. His smile grew wider when you looked up at him. As usual, you felt like you couldn't control your actions. You felt like you were watching yourself from the outside as you moved and spoke as you wished - the you that wanted this sort of freedom in real life.

"Yes. Hello again, indeed," he smirked, pulling you into a gentle hug. "Today hasn't been very eventful, so I'm happy to see you again."

You looked at him like he was crazy. "Don't you see me every day?"

He chuckled. "You're right. My bad." He pulled away from you and led you under a tree, holding your hand.

You looked up at the tree from under it. Rays of sunlight poked through the leaves and branches. You watched in amazement as it slowly grew bigger, larger, and fuller, right before your eyes. "…How did that happen?" you wondered out loud.

The blue-haired boy let his gaze rest on you, his eyes locked on yours. "Magic," he smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

You stared at him, blinking multiple times, surprised to find a pair of different colored eyes looking at you. One was blue, his natural eye color, while the other…was red. You opened your mouth to question him but he quickly vanished along with the sunny skies. Everything faded to darkness.

You jolted awake and blinked up at the ceiling. You breathed out a sigh of relief and rolled to your side. "School," you mumbled to yourself. You needed to get to school. You woke up just in time - right before your alarm clock. You turned it off and got ready.

. . . . . .

You slouched at your desk while gazing idly out the window. You didn't even have a window seat and you would surely get caught for spacing out, but it seems you got lucky since the teacher didn't seem to care today. Your eyes rested on the tree right outside the window and you immediately stiffened. The only thing that differentiated last night's dream from all the rest was the 'magical' tree and the blue-haired boy's eyes. You knew his eyes weren't always like that so of course you were bothered by it. You worried over his heterochromia for the rest of the day.

You sighed as you walked by more and more trees. The more you saw the more you thought about your latest dream. You desperately tried to direct your attention to something else. He wasn't even real, right? So it was only right to stop thinking too much into it. But in the darkest corner of your mind, you wished he was as real as the emotions and feelings you felt. You wished he didn't only exist in your dreams and wasn't just made up.

You glanced up at a tree and froze in your spot. It looked exactly like…You frowned, thinking it impossible. But it looked too similar and if not, identical.

An all too familiar voice called your name. Your eyes drifted to the caller. You frowned slightly, confused. It was…impossible. You examined his features and finally looked up at his heterochromatic eyes.

"Who are you?" you asked unsurely.

His lips turned upwards in a faint smile. "I'm Rokudo Mukuro." His smile grew wider, more genuine. "Nice to meet you."

. . .

. .

* * *

**[A/N]:** Heterochromia is what Mukuro has…technically, anyway. It's the (medical) term used when having different colored eyes. For example, one eye is blue while the other eye is green. I realize Mukuro's red eye isn't natural but I think it still makes sense.


	16. Not Sudden At All

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Dino: Not Sudden At All

* * *

Dino was your childhood friend. You've known him almost your entire life. In fact, you even thought he was your brother when you were younger. Eventually, however, you realized he wasn't when you found that you were separated from him more than you would've liked.

But other than that, you two were pretty much inseparable. There was no way you could deny he was special to you, and you to him (at least you thought so, anyway). The memories you shared with him were one of the things you treasured the most.

.

.

_You were five…_

_._

"_(Name)_!" A five-year-old Dino exclaimed, "Look, _(Name)_! A caterpillar!" He squatted on the grass to watch it.

A five-year-old you squatted next to him. You were at the park, happily playing with Dino.

"Young master Dino," someone called. Both you and Dino looked over to the voice. You pouted at the sight of a man in a suit, wearing sunglasses. "It's time to go now, young master Dino."

Dino turned back to face you. "No~! I want to stay with you, _(Name)_!" He hugged you, intending to never let go. "I don't want to go!"

You hugged him back. "I don't want you to go, Dino…But we can play again tomorrow!" you said, trying to comfort him.

"R-really?" he asked, looking at you with hopeful eyes.

"Y-yeah!" you replied, smiling cheerfully.

"You promise?" Dino smiled when you innocently nodded. He was wearing a happy expression now. "Yay!" He hugged you again. "I love you, _(Name)_!"

You blushed, now confused by the meaning of 'I love you,' but hastily responded, "I-I love you, too, D-Dino."

He grinned innocently and ran to the man in the suit. He stopped and turned to face you. "Keep your promise, okay?" he shouted, waving to you. "See you tomorrow!"

.

_…The first 'I love you'…_

.

.

.

_A few years later…and you got sick…_

_._

You were laying in bed with a horrible fever and the comforters were pulled up all the way to your chin. You felt cold so you bundled up as much as you could. You were told to rest and skip school for a couple of days.

But the moment Dino found out you were sick, he dashed off to your house and sat on a chair by the side of your bed. You heard he tripped and smashed into a lot of things on his way.

You turned your head to face him and looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "Dino, you should be at school," you said meekly. "I'll be fine. It's just a fever." Your voice was a little hoarse.

"No, I won't leave you." He looked so worried. "I'll take care of you so don't worry. I'm here because I love you; so just rest, okay?"

"…Okay," you answered drowsily. You closed your eyes, hoping your red face could be passed off as a symptom of your fever.

.

_…He said it again._

.

.

.

_His birthday..._

_._

"Romario? Where's Dino?" you asked Romario.

"In the kitchen," he answered with a small smile.

"Alone?" you questioned, a bit shocked.

He laughed nervously. "He insisted," he shrugged.

"Okay, thanks." You waved bye to him and ran in the direction of the kitchen. It was Dino's birthday today and you had a gift you were especially eager to give him. You could almost see the smile on his face as he rips open the present. You grinned foolishly. Of course, that was only in your imagination.

You were only in your early teenager years, carefree and with not a care in the world… supposedly. Life was still full of possibilities and dreams.

You entered the kitchen and beamed upon seeing the soon-to-be mafia boss digging into a vanilla cake. "Dino!"

He looked up and gave a child-like grin. "_(Name)_!"

You walked over to him and presented the gift before him. "Happy birthday!" You smiled widely, a bit embarrassed.

"Wow! Thanks!" Dino took the wrapped gift from your hands and ripped it open. He gaped, taking out a jacket lined in fluffy material you had no idea he would still be wearing twenty, and even thirty, years from now.

He slipped the jacket on and laughed, pulling the hood over his head. "Thanks, _(Name)_!" He gave you a big bear hug. "I love you!"

You blushed, forcing yourself to think nothing of his declaration. "Your welcome, Dino."

.

_…And there still were many more…_

.

.

.

You wondered if Dino even knew the meaning of 'I love you.' He said it to you every time he saw you, complete with a bear hug. It was absolutely the sweetest thing in the world. But there was a big problem. Those were pretty special words…Heck, those were the words every girl in the world wanted to hear the most from that one special person. They were _sacred_!

You sighed. No, it's okay. Dino is your best friend. He probably means it in a 'you're-like-my-sister' kind of way. You frowned and immediately face-palmed. You couldn't accept that either. You wanted your relationship with Dino to be more than that.

"Guess who!"

You jumped when a pair of hands covered your eyes from behind. "…Dino?" you guessed.

Dino removed his hands away from your eyes and laughed. "You got me." He grinned. "Good guess," he commented.

You punched him lightly on the arm. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry, sorry." He smiled and ruffled your hair playfully. He stopped and suddenly looked a bit bashful. "Hey, um, I wanted to ask you something," he said. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

You stared at him, smiling at his flustered face. "Yeah?"

He glanced at you and immediately looked away. He inhaled. "_(Name)_," he started, "Will you marry me?"

You froze and your breathing ceased. You stared at him blankly, processing his words. You let out the breath you've been holding. Your face suddenly felt warm. "D-Dino, isn't that a little…I don't know…sudden?" Wouldn't normal couples go out first? Start out slow and kiss or whatever they do?

Dino stared at you, head tilted to the side in confusion. "Sudden?" he repeated. "It's not sudden..." You were taken aback, surprised by his words. "I mean, haven't I been making it obvious every time we were together all these years? That _I love you_?"

Your face went hot. He meant every 'I love you' he ever said. That was enough for you. You attacked him with a big hug and buried your face in his oh-so fluffy jacket. "Then yes! A thousand times yes!" you cried happily.

Dino hugged you tight and said, "I love you more than anything."

. . .

. .

* * *

Requested by **Saia Kittyfish**


	17. Sucky Handwriting or Idiot Student?

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Gokudera: Sucky Handwriting or Idiot Student?

* * *

"So…you're going to be my tutor?" you questioned, eyeing the silver hair that belonged to the green-eyed boy. "Gokudera…aren't you too young? Not that I'm complaining or anything!" you added the last part hastily and raised your hands defensively. You needed the help real bad after all. This was your last resort in raising your grade.

The said boy, who had been glaring at you since you stepped into the room, scoffed. "They ran out of teachers to help tutor the students. I was asked," _or_ _blackmailed,_ he thought in anger, "to help out."

"Oh," was all you said.

"Now let's get this over with," he stated with a tired tone in his voice. "What do you need help with?" He gestured for you to sit down while he read the information from your file.

You chose a seat up front in the empty classroom, assuming he was going to use the blackboard. "Math," you answered.

"What part?"

"Everything." You laughed nervously. His look of disbelief made you blush in embarrassment.

He sighed. "This is going to take awhile," he mumbled under his breath. "Then let's start from the beginning of the year."

. . .

"Why do I keep getting it wrong?" you cried in dismay. You've already tried the problem eleven times with the formula 'Gokudera-sensei' wrote on the board for you. You didn't call him that out loud. If you did...he would probably hit you.

Gokudera walked over to the desk you were sitting in. "Did you properly plug in _a_, _b_, and _c_?"

"Of course!"

"Here, let me see it." He took your paper and adjusted his glasses.

"…Why did you plug in the same number for both _a_ and _c_?" he questioned. Yes, you were using the ever-popular Pythagorean theorem.

"What? What are you talking about?" You took the paper back and studied it.

"Here." Gokudera was pointing to a step you supposedly made a mistake on. "That's supposed to be where you plug in _c_.

"But you wrote _a_ up there!" you exclaimed, pointing to the board up front.

He looked up and frowned. "It's a _c_."

"Ahhh! Darn it!" You started to erase your paper furiously. No wonder the problem looked so weird. It was different from the way your math teacher taught you. Besides…you didn't even know an _a_ could look like that. It was so funky-looking.

Aside from the deformed _c_, everything on the board looked like chicken scratch. You were now working on a different chapter and Gokudera-sensei was writing on the board, taking you step by step through a problem.

"Okay, do it from here," he instructed. He stopped writing and left you to continue and solve the problem.

You wanted to complain but said nothing. It looked fairly easy after all. After a few minutes, you finished the problem.

"I'm done…I think," you announced.

"Is your answer negative one?" he asked, arms crossed and slightly leaning on the clean side of the black board.

"What the-!" you stopped yourself. You tried to control your anger and frustration. "No, it's not _negative one_. Now why would it be?" you demanded.

Gokudera clicked his tongue. "I'll show you. First, what did you do with the imaginary number after this step?"

"There's an imaginary number in the equation?" you exclaimed in disbelief. Your eyes scanned the board.

"Of course there is, you idiot!" Gokudera snapped. "What did you think this lesson was about?"

"Well I know what the lesson was about so of course I found it odd the imaginary number was missing!" you shouted, pissed he just insulted you.

"It's not missing! It's right here!" He pointed to a spot on the board and pointed out the supposed _i_.

"The hell! I thought that was a one!" you exclaimed. "Where's the freaking dot on top?"

"It's not a one, stupid! Where would it have come from? Think why don't you!" Gokudera pointed to his temple for emphasis.

"At least make it look like the _i_ in the book," you shot back. You held the book up and showed him a page. "Curve the tips a little."

"Che, it's too fancy for a stupid letter," Gokudera grunted.

"Fine! Fine," you said. "Let's just continue." You felt irritated now. His handwriting really sucked. You felt it impossible to be able to read all of it.

The next chapter went by just as torturous. Parabolas.

"…Is that an _h_ or a _k_?" you asked, on the brink of giving up.

"An _h_," Gokudera hissed through gritted teeth as he continued to write on the board with the textbook in hand. You've been asking many questions to make sure you were copying everything down correctly - and he was tired of it. It was also quite insulting. He wanted to strangle someone. He already knew he didn't have the greatest writing but who the hell cares?

"…Is that an _s_ or a 5?" you asked, staring at the _s/_5.

"Of course it has to be a 5! An _s_ can't suddenly appear on a parabola!" Gokudera fumed.

"Well sor~ry! But you have to move out of the way first so I can see the whole thing!" you said as you scribbled down the 5. You glanced up at the board and stopped. Gokudera was glaring daggers at you but you ignored it and looked past him. There, on the board, was an interesting parabola.

"Why… in the world," you started, "is that parabola… a V?" you exclaimed. "Aren't they supposed to be U-shaped?"

You threw down your pencil and pushed your books and papers away from you. You crossed your arms and leaned back in your seat. "You can't write. Or draw."

He crossed his arms as well and glared. "Well you're not exactly easy to teach, y'know," he retorted.

. . .

. .

* * *

**Requested by shizu Fumikari**


	18. Withdrawal

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Warning: ...Beware the OOC-ness...

* * *

Hibari: Withdrawal

* * *

Hibari leaned back in his chair taking a deep breath. He paused, then closed his eyes as he exhaled. He hissed when he felt another throbbing pain resonate throughout his skull. He clutched his head, enduring the pain. His breaths were heavy as he leaned his forehead on the palm of his hand, his arm propped up. Small beads of sweat slid down his forehead as his body started to quiver uncontrollably. He cursed. All he could do now was wait it out.

Soon, his breaths turned shallow. His frowned deepened and he shakily got up from his desk, cold eyes unfocused and wary. He scowled as he passed the kitchen and entered a darker room. He went directly to the medicine cabinet, quickly opening it and rummaging through. The prescription bottles and containers clacked together as he fumbled through, trying to read the labels. His breaths were heavy as he desperately scanned for the desired drug.

Finally, he found it. He twisted the small bottle open and swallowed a tablet. He closed his eyes, tilting his head up and let out an inaudible sigh.

He heard a knock at the door. His expression turned hard as he focused his eyes ahead. "Come in." His voice was monotone.

Kusakabe entered the room. He frowned at the bottles of tablets scattered in front of Hibari. He turned his attention to the Cloud Guardian who didn't even acknowledge his presence and kept staring blankly ahead.

Kusakabe's expression was full of concern and worry for his boss, knowing this was not at all new.

.

.

"_(Name)_!"

You turned around upon hearing your name. Kusakabe ran up to you and sloppily bowed as a sign of respect, as usual. You inwardly questioned the way he hastily bowed but you smiled at him, choosing not to say anything. "It's been awhile, Kusakabe." You blinked when he ignored your greeting and instead made an unexpected demand.

"Please go see Kyo-san now!"

You frowned in response. What was the reason for that demand? You didn't say anything and stared at him, willing him to explain his sudden outburst.

"When you just simply took off and left that day, Hibari's slowly destroyed himself each day," Kusakabe explained hastily. "You know you can't just run away, _(Name)_!"

"Kusakabe," you stopped him from further nonsense. "I didn't run away; you should know that. I was just on a mission for Tsuna…"

"But a ten month long mission in Italy?" Kusakabe questioned.

"No one else wanted to do it," you explained, desperate to win him over to your side. "Tsuna needs his guardians here anyway. I'm not one of them, so it was fine…though he was hesitant at first."

"…But Kyo-san told you not to go, right? Why did you go anyway?" Kusakabe asked. Multiple questions were whirling through his head.

"He can't control my actions," you sighed. "And besides, I don't really believe what you said about Hibari. I'm sure he wouldn't care about something like this." It hurt to say it, but this was what you truly believed. No matter how much you tried to get him to like you - to at least warm up to you, he didn't show any sign of affection towards you. He had allowed you to be his girlfriend but nothing seemed to change between you two.

"Yesterday I found out you were coming back from your mission. Please," Kusakabe pleaded. His face was serious. "Go see Kyo-san. He has become more irritable and has not been the same since you left."

You hesitated. But you already knew what you wanted to do.

You missed that cold-hearted perfectionist of a prefect. You missed him to death and you thought of him everyday while you were in Italy. You always thought that he might have liked this and that, imagining that he was with you.

You relented. "Okay. But could you take this to Tsuna? The report from my mission…" you said, holding up the file folder.

"Of course." Kusakabe immediately took it while you turned on your heel and ran out to Hibari's house.

.

.

"…Hibari?" you called. You walked down the dark, hardly lit hallway unable to find a light switch. It wouldn't surprise you if he had destroyed them all. He had many inhuman habits and dislikes, after all.

You entered some sort of study room. It was the only lit room in the whole house.

Your heart skipped a beat when you saw him. Finally, you were able to see him after so long.

He was at his desk, leaning back in his chair, head back and an arm over his eyes. The wood beneath you creaked as you approached him and you gasped as his head snapped up to look at you. You clasped your hands over your mouth as your eyes locked for the first time in ten months. Surprise was evident on his face but soon, his expression turned into a frown as he growled out your name. He stood up from his seat and stepped closer to you.

You didn't have a chance to respond or explain yourself when he roughly grabbed your arm and pulled you closer. His lips met yours in a deep kiss. You shut your eyes as your mind went blank, unable to think of what to do.

You were obviously taken by surprise. In the past, the kisses you shared with Hibari were always initiated by you, usually by asking first. This was too sudden for you so you quickly pulled away (partly because you found that you needed more oxygen if you wanted to live). You gaped up at him, face red and eyes wide open in surprise.

He just glared at you. You looked at him quizzically and studied his face. He looked paler and malnourished. Had he been taking drugs? You panicked at the thought. Kuskakabe hadn't mentioned that!

But as you stared further on, you wondered: Is this what happens when he's without you?

Your heart fluttered with hope and happiness. You gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry."

Irritation and annoyance flickered in his eyes as he stole yet another kiss from you.

Later that day, you asked Kusakabe for more details concerning a certain Cloud Guardian. You wanted to know more about what happened while you were away.

"Kusakabe?"

"Ah…were you able to see Kyo-san?" he asked, looking you straight in the eye.

"Yup," you answered. "But what happened to him? He looked different and had an unhealthy look…like he's on drugs or something." You glanced at the vice-head of the disciplinary committee and your suspicions were confirmed when he nodded.

"He's been taking…something that's been messing him up. Its altered his judgment slightly and gave him insomnia," he answered with a downcast look. He sighed, frustrated. "It was like he was going through withdrawal!"

"…Withdrawal?" you questioned. What did he mean?

"I mean, the experience is probably the same. I've seen the symptoms." His gaze returned to your face. "And it wasn't withdrawal from the drugs. It was from _you_."

With that, you blushed and ran out of the room to find Hibari.

And so, Hibari never let you out of his sight again. It was weird how he suddenly became so possessive but now you knew he felt something akin to love (maybe) towards you. You were never away from him for more than a few hours and stealing a kiss or two seemed to be his perk of the day.

. . .

. .

* * *

Requested by** khrhibariluv**


	19. Sleeping Through a Thunderstorm

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Viper/Mammon: Sleeping Through a Thunderstorm

* * *

Viper was slowly drifting into a blissful sleep until he heard his door creak open. Despite the pitch-black darkness of the room and possibly the whole building due to the time of day it was, he knew perfectly well who was currently in the doorway.

"…What do you want?" He couldn't help the drowsy tone in his voice. He had been, after all, on the very brink of sleep.

You hesitated at the doorway and stared into the room while your eyes adjusted to the dark. "Can I sleep with you? In your room?" you asked quietly.

"No." His answer was automatic. "Go away."

"Please~?" you pleaded. "There's a thunderstorm!" The storm outside seemed to be one of the worst you've ever experienced.

"…Ah…so there is," Viper mumbled, listening carefully. You wondered how he could possible not have heard it. Thunder was rumbling constantly.

You heard him sigh deeply. You continued to beg, "Please, Viper? I can't sleep…"

"…May I suggest earplugs?"

"Viper~!" you shouted exasperatedly. "It's not only the thunder. The lightning flashes in my room and creates really scary shadows!"

"Can those really be considered reasons?"

You ignored him and entered the dark room, quietly shutting the door behind you. "I promise I won't bother you," you said. You shuffled over to the other side of the bed, opposite of Viper. "I'll stay on this side, okay? I promise not to get in your way." You slid under the covers, grateful Viper had not kicked you out yet. You turned so that your back was facing the illusionist.

"I should fine you," you heard Viper mumble under his breath. You said nothing and snuggled under the covers.

Despite the presence of a friend, you still found it hard to fall asleep. You twitched every time you heard the roar of thunder or saw a flash of lightning. After what seemed like eternity, you finally drifted into unconsciousness . . .

Your eyes fluttered open upon hearing your name being called repeatedly.

"_(Name)_!" Viper called, sounding very annoyed. "Wake up already, woman!"

"Huh?" you mumbled. Your eyes tried to focus until it rested on the figure of Viper in front of you. You were facing his chest, and you were quite close at that. You squeaked in surprise and looked up at Viper for an explanation.

"Look, I didn't do anything, alright?" It seemed most logical to start off his defensive explanation with. "I don't know how, but you just suddenly went and came over here. I would've backed up more; really, I would, but I'm at the very edge of my bed," Viper explained. "Ugh. And then you started _cuddling_."

You sweat dropped. Guess that somewhat explained why your sleep seemed so peaceful all of a sudden. "Sorry, Viper," you said apologetically. "I didn't mean to, really." You scooted away and moved to get up. "I guess I should leave-" you stopped when you were pulled back on the bed. You blushed when an arm slid around your waist and kept you in place. You heard Viper sigh tiredly.

"Look, just close your eyes, okay?" he ordered sternly.

"…Huh?" you questioned, face quickly growing warm.

"Just do as I say."

Hesitantly, you did as you were told and found that you felt more drowsy and tired than before. Whether you liked it or not, Viper's warmth made you feel safer.

. . . . .

Was this a dream? Or was it morning already?

You looked up at the clear blue sky. The sun was bright and warm against your skin. You looked up ahead and saw a sparkling ocean before you. The sand beneath your feet was warm and soft. Where were your shoes? You smiled at the thought. So, this was a dream, after all. What happened to the thunderstorm earlier? You couldn't hear it anymore.

"Sleep now, _," you heard Viper's voice say.

You looked around for the mysterious illusionist but he was no where in sight. You couldn't help but smile. This dream he created for you was the exact opposite of the thunderstorm you were so scared of.

. . . . . . . . . .

Viper stared at your sleeping form, wondering if you were content with the illusion he created in your head. "Thanks Viper," he heard you mumble sleepily. He scoffed and didn't answer, pretending he didn't hear you. He shifted a little and smiled faintly before falling asleep as well.

. . .

. .

* * *

For **Snowy Cherry-san**


	20. Don't Even Think About It

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Giotto: Don't Even Think About it

* * *

You trailed behind Vongola Primo vigilantly. The Guardians surrounded both you and the mafia boss a couple feet away - even the anti-social Cloud Guardian.

You looked around curiously at your surroundings. It looked like some kind of airport. You wondered where you were but didn't ask since it looked like Giotto and his guardians were in some sort of hurry.

You sighed, frustrated. He had, after all, just dragged you along, all the while smiling his deceivingly sweet smile.

Making your way to the other side of the building, the group (somewhat) blended in with the crowd in the vicinity. It probably wasn't accurate to say they didn't stand out; for a group of rather good-looking guys mixed with other foreign good-looking guys was pretty hard to miss. They just didn't stand out as much as you expected.

You noticed Giotto slow down in front of you and curiously peeked from behind to see what was ahead. It looked to be a checkpoint. You panicked a little, glancing at each of the Guardians. Didn't they have weapons on them? Guns, bombs, swords, knives, explosives, etc.

The faces of the guardians were somewhat disturbed as they watched the sentry pat up and down the people up ahead. They were patting a little too close to the private areas… How discomforting. Giotto, of course, noticed this, too.

You inched close to Giotto, not sure what to do. Would he use his mafia influence and simply walk through or let them check to find weapons of mass destruction among the group?

You watched as the woman in front of you step away from security, finished with inspection. The woman glared at the guard, obviously feeling violated, while he simply stared back impassively.

"Sir," the guard addressed Giotto, a stern expression on his face. He apparently didn't know who he was talking to. He glanced at the people around the blonde and beckoned more guards over in an attempt to search the group quicker. Each of the Guardians were soon face-to-face with a sentry. You and Giotto were the only ones who weren't currently being searched.

In less than a second, most of the guards were either flipped, kicked aside, thrown across the room, or all three.

"Guys…" Giotto sighed helplessly as he watched his Guardians' arbitrary actions.

You winced. Painful screams were heard as the enraged and prideful Guardians felt it unforgivable to let the poor sentry off so easily.

Then, one daring and brave guard approached you. "…M-ma'am," he stammered, most likely intending to search you. You and Giotto looked at the distraught man whom the Lightening Guardian had run away from.

Giotto pulled you close, wrapped his arms around you, and glared murderously at the guard. "Don't even think about it," he threatened. His embrace was protective.

A glare so powerful (that you couldn't see) caused the guard to run for his life and bolt out of arm's reach. In his pursuit to save his life he was tripped sadistically by none other than the Cloud Guardian. You watched as he was kicked across the room by the Storm Guardian for simply approaching the Vongola Boss.

Vongola Primo simply 'hmph'ed and stepped away from you. You blushed, realizing what he had done. Not only that, but it seemed as though he was reluctant to let go of you.

He proceeded through as though nothing had happened and both innocent civilians and sentry gave way for the group of Mafioso. You were simply trailing behind them when you were approached by a nervous wreck of a guy. He looked ready to wet his pants; he didn't want to die. He stuttered, "E-excuse me. Um, p-please don't destroy the building. Please." His voice cracked on the last word he spoke.

"I'm so sorry. We didn't mean to cause the damage earlier," you explained. You opened your mouth to continue but stopped when you heard your name.

You saw Giotto walking towards you. He grabbed your arm to pull you close once again. You blushed at his action. His arm around your shoulders tightened as he turned to look at the guy who had spoken to you. "Don't touch her. Don't go near her. Don't even _look_ at her, got it?" His smile was sickeningly sweet. You were glad you weren't meeting the other side of his smile.

Every one of the attendants nodded their heads vigorously. Satisfied, Giotto continued on his way, pulling you along, leaving everyone who had witnessed the prior events with mixed feelings; fear being the dominant emotion.

. . .

. .

* * *

For **xXReaperComposerxX**


	21. Is it True?

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Mukuro: Is it True?

* * *

You threw the newspaper in the trashcan, wanting to set it on fire. You could only glare down helplessly at it seeing as you were in the middle of a busy city street. You knew mere strangers and bystanders would wonder what you were doing, lighting a trashcan on fire, and would assume you to be a terrorist of some sort.

You tightened your coat around your body and slid your sunglasses over your eyes. Tears were starting to well up, blurring your vision. _'Mukuro…you promised.'_ Holding back your tears, you made your way down the street, remembering you had school tomorrow.

-Four months later-

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. The teacher was the first to leave after bidding the class goodbye. One by one your classmates dispersed, leaving you alone in the barren classroom. Taking your time, you gathered your things and slung your bag over your shoulder. You made your way out of the school building and through the school yard filled with chattering students and large cliques. You looked down at your cell phone to check the time - you had to meet with Decimo and his Family soon.

This was a normal routine now. Staring blankly down at the ground, you recalled it's been about four months already. Four months since Mukuro was arrested. He was in the big house now, serving his time for a crime you hadn't known he committed. But this was not to be misunderstood; you still loved him. Loved him so much it hurts. It hurt because you were currently away from him. You wanted him out of prison as soon as possible…but until then, you could only wait.

But for him to be caught, he must've been careless. He obviously slipped up. 'Stupid Mukuro,' you thought, quickly feeling depressed. He promised. He promised he would be with you forever. Now he's gone and put himself in prison.

Deciding you've wasted enough time loitering, you picked up pace to meet with the Vongola Family. You knew Mukuro hated the mafia, despised them really, and the Vongola were no different to him. But you always thought they were nice but Mukuro was the only thing that kept you from ever making contact with them. You followed Mukuro obediently and your loyalty to him prevented you from having anything to do with the mafia. Now, however, Mukuro was currently not present and mafia connections were never to be underestimated. This could be a chance to help the illusionist out of prison.

When you entered the Vongola base you immediately knew something was wrong. The halls gave an eerily empty feeling and the air was tense, completely opposite of the warm, comfortable atmosphere you were so used to now.

You made your way to the meeting room, proceeding as normal. You opened the door and found everyone inside like usual. Takeshi, Hayato, Lambo, Ryohei, Kyoya, Reborn, and Tsuna. They saw your confused face, immediately knowing you had caught on to something. You closed the door behind you and took your usual seat next to the window.

Reborn spoke up. "_(Name)_, have you heard?"

You glanced at everyone's faces suspiciously. "Heard what?"

No one responded right away, not sure how to explain. After a long, suspenseful pause, Tsuna finally handed you a file. You took it and opened it, scanning the contents. You tensed, at a complete loss for words. "He broke out of prison…" you breathed.

"Again," the Strom Guardian commented with a scoff.

You ignored the comment and asked, "Do you know where he is?"

"Actually," Tsuna started, "we were wondering if you knew his whereabouts…" He slumped when you shook your head.

"Do you know anywhere he could be?" Reborn inquired. "Be honest, _(Name)_."

"No. Besides, I'm sure you have already searched every location I told you about. Even Kokoyu. That's everywhere I know." Their silence confirmed they have indeed. "Are you going to put him back in prison if you find him?"

"We don't know," was Reborn's simple answer. You nodded. Mukuro was getting into more trouble for this.

Why did he break out?

.

.

Upon hearing the dismissal bell you immediately gathered your things and bolted out the door. Rushing for the first time in months, you made your way off school grounds, wanting to help search for the blue-haired criminal. On your way to the Vongola headquarters you suddenly stopped in your tracks, unable to move your feet. They felt heavy, or rather, they felt as if cemented to the ground. You watched as your surroundings became disoriented and deformed until everything turned black. Everything became silent. The trees and buildings have disappeared and you could no longer hear the town life of Namimori.

Your heart beat faster as you contemplated the source of the illusion. You frowned, not exactly knowing what to do in this situation. Looking down at your hands all you could see was black.

A blinding flash of light engulfed you and you immediately responded by shielding your eyes.

"Open your eyes, _(Name)_," a familiar voice ordered.

You obediently did as you were told, willing your eyes to adjust to the sudden light. You looked up to meet the heterochromatic eyes of Mukuro Rokudo. The eyes that killed countless amount of people.

"Mukuro!" you shouted, immediately enveloping him in a hug. You pulled away and bombarded him with questions. "Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why are you here?"

Mukuro, calm and composed as ever, simply smiled and said, "Actually, I've heard some interesting things."

You remained confused. "What things? What do you mean?"

His expression turned serious. "What are you doing in the mafia?" His voice was stern and demanding.

Your eyes widened in surprise. "…Where did you hear that?"

"Things get around." His expression was cold as he leered down at you. "You look surprised. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Guilt plagued your conscientiousness. "I didn't know what to do. I had no where to go," you said. "When you got arrested, I felt like you left me alone."

"…I see," he said softly. He leaned back and placed his hand on top of your head. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around you in a gentle hug. You hugged back, having missed his hugs immensely. It was silent for a moment before he spoke, "But I can not allow you to continue acting so friendly with the Vongola. I absolutely forbid it."

"That's not fair," you said. "They've been taking such good care of me."

He looked you straight in the eye. "No mafia," he ordered. "That's final."

.

.

You and Mukuro were currently walking down the street, doing some grocery shopping so neither of you would starve. Mukuro was wearing a cap and sunglasses, a hooded sweater, and baggy pants - a disguise of poor effort, but it was effective. You wandered into a convenience store for something you had forgotten to buy while Mukuro waited for you outside. He flicked the hood over his head just to be safe and patiently waited for your return. He heard a couple of girls who had exited the convenience store you were in comment on the front page of a newspaper they were holding.

"Oh my God, read this here," one of the girls pointed out. "An escaped convict."

"Yeah, I know," her friend said. "But you know what? I heard he broke out of prison for a _girl_. A girl! Isn't that sweet?"

"Not if it's to kill her."

"Well it's not!" her friend retorted. Then she sighed dreamily. "Who knew a criminal could be such a romantic?"

"It's true?" the girl inquired, a bit stunned.

"I don't know, but it would be so very romantic if it was!"

Mukuro watched as they continued to gossip the rest of the way down the street. You exited the store and approached the poorly disguised illusionist from behind. "…News sure gets around fast," you heard him say.

"What news?" you asked.

Mukuro turned to face you and gave a light smirk. "It's nothing you need to know about."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Astral Archer**


	22. A Surprising Valentine's Day

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Dino: A Surprising Valentine's Day

* * *

"Hey, _(Name)_?" Dino asked.

"Yeah?" you replied, text-ing away on your phone. You felt Dino lean back, adding more pressure on you. You were both sitting on the grass, back-to-back, facing away from each other. "Dino?"

"Well, you see…" he started. "Hey, don't turn around, okay?"

"Why?" you asked, curiosity getting the better of you.

"Just don't. It's embarrassing to say face-to-face…" Dino mumbled.

You turned your head slightly and saw how red his ears were. He must be blushing furiously. You smiled, complying to his wish and said, "Okay. Now what were you going to say?"

Dino heaved a big sigh and said, "There's this girl I've liked for a really long time now. I honestly don't know how long I've liked her…it just sort of…happened."

You stared blankly ahead. Did your heart just sink a little? The possibility that you could be more than friends with Dino suddenly seemed so far away now. You knew this mystery girl definitely wasn't you; this wasn't like a love story where the boy disguised the identity of the girl he likes while talking about her _to_ her.

After all, you haven't known Dino too long. You knew his name and who he was but you only really got to know him through Tsuna. You weren't stupid; you could put the pieces together easily. Dino just said he knew this girl for a long time while you just befriended him recently. And now he wanted advice on love, what to do, his feelings, and whatever complications came with love.

"Let's call her 'Girl 1' for now," Dino said with a hint of humor in his tone.

"You're such a goofball," you said jokingly, hiding all signs of disappointment and dejection. Then you realized something. Girl 1? "Wait, does that mean…there's another?"

"Yeah. …There's a second girl," Dino confirmed. "I'll call her 'Girl 2'," he laughed with a shrug.

"Don't tell me you like these two girls…" you joked in a disappointed tone. Your heart thumped in your chest with all the drama. It was a little more than you could take in one go.

Dino laughed. "You read me like a book," he said. "Well, Girl 2 recently came into my life and she's really turning everything upside down. I started thinking about her a lot without me even knowing it. What should I do?"

You sighed, trying to appear as calm as possible. Your heart seemed to have sunk to the bottom of your stomach. Even though you felt this way, you still wanted to help Dino with his dilemma. The answer seemed pretty obvious. Dino felt it was complicated though you knew it was much simpler than he realized. …But you were confused with his question. "What do you _want_ to do?" you asked bluntly.

There was silence. Then…

"What?" he asked, completely puzzled.

"Sorry. I mean, who do you like more?"

It was dead silent before Dino mumbled out, "the second girl," as if he had an epiphany.

This kind of surprised you. Liking the first girl for so long but liking Girl 2 more when you just met her was shocking. So you voiced out your opinion. "What about the first girl?" you inquired, turning around to face him. He didn't make a move to look at you. "Didn't you know her longer? Shouldn't you like _her_ more?"

Dino turned his head slightly and you could see his cheek turned up as if he were smiling. "I don't know. I mean, I find the second girl twice as cute and funny."

You blushed. You sat back down in you spot with your back leaning against his. You forced down the blush, knowing he wasn't talking about you. You felt like he did and now you felt stupid. "T-That's kind of weird," you commented, trying to maintain composure.

"About me liking the second girl?" he asked, chuckling.

"…Yeah," you mumbled.

He shrugged. "I really like her. So that's why I'm going to ask you for a favor, _(Name)_."

"What is it?" you asked, curious as to what Dino would do next.

"On Valentine's Day I'm going to give her a rose. Can you come with me? Y'know…for support?"

"Only one rose?" you asked.

"I think it's romantic," he answered. You could just imagine the goofy grin he was wearing right now.

You thought about it and agreed. "It is."

"So, you'll come?" Dino asked, turning around to face you.

"Sure. I don't mind. Just tell me when and where."

"Yes!" Dino grinned a toothy grin. "Thanks, _(Name)_! Oh, and don't freak out when you find out who it is, okay?"

This confused you but you answered anyway, "Okay."

*Valentine's Day*

You stood at the meeting spot. Alone.

Why was no one here yet?

You sighed. You thought you were going to be late but in the end, no one was here. You heard your phone ring. You immediately answered it, not caring who it might be seeing as no one was there to occupy your time anyway.

_"Hi, _(Name)_!"_ you heard Dino's voice say from the other end of the line with much enthusiasm.

"Dino? Where are you? How come you're not here yet?" you asked impatiently.

You heard Dino laugh. _"Calm down, calm down."_

You huffed in annoyance. "When are you going to get here?"

He ignored your question and said, _"Hey, turn around."_

"Huh?" You stupidly looked side-to-side before turning a full 180 to meet a crimson red rose held at your eye level. You looked up at Dino who was wearing his charming, charismatic smile.

"Will you be my Valentine?"

You nodded dumbly and let out a soft 'yes' before taking the single rose and blushing furiously. He laughed at your red face while you gave him a playful shove in response.

He smiled. "You're so cute!"

You didn't reply to his comment and instead stuttered out, "Those…things you said before…were about-"

"You." Dino grinned. "Yeah."

All those things he said were about you? _You?_ Cute? Funny?

Your face turned an even darker shade of red and you shoved him again. "You're so silly," you told him. "You should have just told me earlier."

"Maybe." He grinned. "But I thought it would have been more romantic if I waited until Valentine's Day to tell you." He took your hand and held it in his, intertwining his fingers with yours. "I really like you," he finally said, a light blush staining his cheeks.

You stood on your toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. You smiled at his shocked face, completely taken off-guard.

It seemed it was his turn to blush red.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

Written for **Wafia Primo**


	23. Future Love

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Gokudera: Future Love

* * *

You were leisurely walking to your house, taking your precious time, on your way back from school. You turned the corner of your street and collided with a person's rock hard chest. You blinked in surprise and took several steps back, slowly recovering from shock. You flinched when a pair of hands grabbed your shoulders. Looking up, you met a pair of forest green eyes.

"It's you…" you heard him say. He was looking at you with an incredulous look, full of surprise and disbelief.

You stared up in confusion, gaping slightly. Your thoughts were swirling, trying to summon up any clue as to who this man was. He apparently knew who you were yet you didn't know who he was. It was then that you took in his appearance. He had the features of a foreigner with longish, silver hair, and piercing green eyes. He was tall and had the presence of a figure with power. You figured he was an adult, judging from the fancy suit he was wearing, along with the pressed, crimson red dress shirt and black tie.

"_(Name)_!" the stranger said. "Hurry up and fall in love me!"

Your eyes grew wide, feeling a knot form in the back or your throat. This knot did not allow any words to form.

All thought processes ceased.

"HUH?" you suddenly blurted out. This had to be some kind of joke. This guy was insane…and yet, he was gazing at you with such intense, passionate eyes.

"Fall in love with me already!" he repeated. He pulled you into a bone crushing hug (making you blush scarlet) before disappearing in a puff of pink smoke.

You had no idea what was going on and remained speechless. Your mind, however, was running wild with questions.

The smoke quickly cleared and the man was gone, a younger version of himself taking his place. The boy blinked in confusion, and then glared when he saw you. "Who the hell are you?"

You wanted to slap him. He was the one who came up to you and molested you (assuming he was same person) and now he was asking who the hell you were. Everything was getting too confusing so you decided to just walk away and pretend none of the prior events ever happened. You brushed past him and stomped off, heading for home while he glared and went on his way.

_~Sequel~_

Days passed and you wouldn't admit it, but you've been keeping count. It was all because of that atrocious boy who had spurted out nonsense and had, without so much as a warning, pulled you into an intimate hug. It was hard to say whether you were mad or happy. But you were definitely confused.

Though that was the first time you've ever 'met' him, he always somehow kept popping up in your mind. There was something about him that made you believe there was something between you and him…or at least in the future, anyway. Was it possible that he loved you?

One day you saw him again, standing in front of your house. You immediately recognized him, his hair color sticking out like a sore thumb. Your heart pounded, suddenly feeling anxious. Even with his back turned, you realized it was the young boy (not the man) as you approached him.

"Can I help you?" you asked, careful to keep a good distance between you and the boy.

He turned to look at you. His calculating green eyes looked you over, making you feel uncomfortable. "Are you _(full name)_?" he asked in a hesitant tone.

You nodded your head yes. You didn't show it, but you were freaking out, wondering how in the world he knew your name.

He gave a curt nod and said, "My name is Gokudera Hayato." He looked down at the paper you hadn't noticed he was holding and said, "I was left this note…by my future self." He reread it, skimming it through, and continued, "It may sound hard to believe and trust me, I wasn't convinced at first either, but I saw the signature at the bottom. _My_ signature."

You weren't convinced. Not at all. You couldn't explain everything that had happened but this could just be some trick. He could be making it all up. Even so, you said nothing and waited for him to continue.

He met your eyes, knowing you weren't bought over by his words. "I thought it was a prank at first, but right away I knew it couldn't be. Besides my distinct signature signed at the bottom, this note…is written in a code that I made up. A code _I_ only know."

You glanced down at the paper and glimpsed handwritten characters you've never seen before.

"Your name and address was written. It told me to come here and meet you, so I did." He frowned. "Normally I wouldn't do such an absurd thing, but this note described you in such an interesting way that it intrigued me."

You tilted your head in confusion, slightly in panic at what that note had said about you. He smirked at your bewildered face before reading a single line from the paper. _"Every day, every minute before I met her, before I even knew her, were pretty damn worthless..."_

You took a moment to let the words sink in. Then your heart started thumping in your chest and all the blood rushed to your face.

Gokudera was smirking smugly. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "I'm here to test the accuracy of this claim."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **smokinbomb59**


	24. Game Over to New Adventure

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Fran: Game Over to New Adventure

* * *

Fran was playing intensely, pushing the buttons on the game controller insanely hard. He cursed when one fatal shot lost him the entire game. The words **GAME OVER** flashed on the screen in big, bold letters, mocking him.

"At least I got this far," he muttered. He sighed and started to complain. "But this game is kind of boring. It's pretty pointless. I wonder if there's any secret codes that will make this more interesting," he wondered aloud, tossing the controller aside and walking over to the game console. He looked it over, turning it over, upside down and sideways in his hands and started pushing random buttons on the inside panel.

Then, one particular button made him cease all movement and suck him into the screen.

Fran blinked in confusion. "Aw, crud. Where am I?" He surveyed his surroundings and recognized almost immediately the features and scenery of the video game he was playing only a moment ago. It took him only a second to realize he was in it.

He heard an unfamiliar voice. "Hey, are you my prince?" you asked.

He turned to face you, expressionless. "Huh…a girl," he mumbled, brows slightly raised. "What the hell are you talking about?"

You frowned. "Fran, I'm the princess and you're supposed to save me!"

"Princess?" Fran looked doubtful.

You nodded your head in response. "Yes! And you're my prince!"

"Prince?" He gave a scoff. "_Me?_ BS."

You ignored him. "You have to rescue me from Satan so we can be together."

Fran stared blankly, lost in thought. "Interesting." At first he was just playing an innocent game, now here he was, stuck in the videogame, playing first-hand as the main protagonist. But he didn't mind the sudden change of plans at all. It made things interesting. Much more interesting.

You felt hands slide around your waist and lift you off the ground. You looked down at Fran, red in embarrassment. He brought you lower, bringing your face closer to his.

"I'll fight the bad guys for you," he said, an amused smile plastered on his face, "because you're my princess."

"Fran?" you questioned, confused at his sudden change of heart.

He set you down. "You _are_ my princess, right?"

You blushed and nodded your head.

Then he blinked repeatedly as if realizing something. "Hey, do I get a cool weapon to fight with?" Fran looked at you expectantly.

"Of course," you replied.

Two machine pistols materialized in each hand and his eyes sparkled. "All right! Now I can be even more amazing than I already am!" He turned to you. "C'mon, princess. You're going to get your happily ever after."

"You promise to protect me?" you asked him.

He smiled a rare smile. "Don't worry your pretty little head. I'll protect you."

_I'll be your prince._

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **shizu Fumikari**


	25. I Hate You

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!**

* * *

Kikyou: I Hate You

* * *

How did this happen?

This was never supposed to happen. It was impossible. Unbelievable. _Unthinkable_. He was so strong, so powerful. Yet here he was, on the very brink of death in your arms.

Tears were continuously flowing down your cheeks, but you didn't take notice of it. You were drowning in the feelings of anxiety and despair that smothered you. That dreadful feeling in the pit of your stomach was overwhelming.

You already knew that no matter what you did, there was nothing you could do to prevent the impending truth. There was nothing you could do about the hopelessness in your actions.

Or the pain in your heart.

You could hear his breaths. They were rugged, as if it hurt to breathe. Tears continued to stream down your face as Kikyou struggled to stay alive, even for a few more minutes. Or seconds.

He had no more strength to move, his body almost completely limp. Any moment now death would consume him, leaving you alone.

The tears stung your eyes. You shut your eyes to keep any more tears from falling - but to no avail. You let out a restrained sob as you held Kikyou closer. In between your cries, you mumbled, "I hate you...I hate you so much." You didn't know if he could hear you or not, but you didn't care. You continued, "I hate you for destroying the peaceful life I loved." Your shoulders were trembling as you desperately tried to restrain yourself. "I hate that you killed everyone. Our families and friends," you cried through bitter tears, remembering your old, peaceful life in your alternate world. True, there were some troubles you had to face, but it was nothing you couldn't handle. "I hate you for killing everyone, every single person…but me," you sobbed. "I hate that you let me live! I hate that you kept me alive instead of killing me. I hate you for taking me away and giving me no choice but to work for Byakuran, too."

You froze when you felt a hand gently brush your face and wipe the water away from the corner of your eye. You looked at Kikyou's face and saw a ghost of a smile on his lips. He shakily managed out, "I'm sorry."

"Kikyou?" You desperately wanted him to live through this.

"Forgive me," he continued in a raspy voice. "I wanted a better life for you… But I suppose in the end, I was being selfish…because I wanted you with me…"

The hope that be would be able to make it through this was shattered entirely when his eyes closed and his body went limp.

It was as if time had frozen. His breath stilled while you held yours. His unmoving form brought you down to reality. It hit you hard.

A stifled cry left your trembling lips as you turned your head away.

"I hate you," you repeated again, choking back a sob. "I hate you, Kikyou, for leaving me all alone."

"I hate that you're not with me anymore."

...

..

* * *

I was sad at this time, I think. I don't remember what possessed me to write it this way.

So, is this angst? I thought I'd try it, but...I'm not very proud. xD

For **Crimson Cupcake** I will redo this if you'd like, or if you want something different, you can always request again. (:

That goes for everyone else too. ^^ I try. Request and I'll do it :D

That reminds me…I don't have a beta-reader yet, so my writing will still remain sucky.

Sorry for taking so long. I'm not going to start with the excuses, and trust me, I have a lot. But this goes to show that I don't manage my time well. I was so happy with the new reviewers for the recent chapters, I'm sorry that I may have disappointed you for the three...four months that I have been away!

Thanks for reviewing everyone! And for suggesting when I asked for help! Thank you very much for everything!


	26. Not Just Anyone

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!**

Warning: Slightly AU. Though I think this could be possible. Maybe.

* * *

Adult!Viper/Mammon: Not Just Anyone

* * *

Viper scowled as he was forcibly dragged along the path through the outdoor supermarket. You had somehow managed to persuade him to come out of his dark room despite his absolute distaste of people. He thought you only wanted to walk around the town, and you had thought so too, until you came across the wonderful world of bargains and haggling.

You constantly told yourself to restrain yourself from desiring to buy anything due to the fact you had no money on you. As you continued down the street, eyes glancing around the stands while dragging a reluctant illusionist along, you came across a stand. For kids. You stopped in your tracks, eyes locked on one particular object.

Viper noticed this and wondered if this was some sort of sign you were tired and ready to head back home. "Hey," Viper muttered, "are you done yet? Can we go now?"

You didn't hear his complaints as you stared at the childish object (usually) made for comfort, wanting to take it home badly. This could possibly be the only time you would see anything as cute as that! You were convinced there was nothing in the world that cute. It was looking at you with its beady eyes! You couldn't take it anymore!

You tore your eyes away from the cute object and looked at Viper with tear-y eyes (unintentionally).

He inched back a little when he saw the look on your face. "Ah...what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" you denied, restraining yourself from asking the mist illusionist to buy the stuffed toy for you.

"Is it that?" he asked, pointing at the beady-eyed dinosaur you had been staring at earlier. He walked over to the salesperson and handed him money saying, "I'm taking this," and picked up the dinosaur. "Goodbye," said Viper before walking off. He shoved the dinosaur into your arms. "Here. Can we go now?"

You were gaping now, shocked at the hooded illusionist's actions. But you were happy now that you were the proud owner of the stuffed toy. "Mou. Do I have to drag you home?" Viper called, now a few feet away.

"Coming!" you said, running to catch up. "Thank you, Viper!" you grinned while hugging the cute indigo-colored dinosaur in your arms. He scoffed, apparently not caring.

You held the dinosaur out, staring into its big, beady eyes and squealed in happiness. You were almost at the gates of the building when you heard a voice.

"What are you guys up to?"

You both turned to see Fon smiling as he made his way over to you, with Reborn trailing behind.

"You look happy, _(name)_," Fon observed, smiling kindly.

"Yeah! Viper bought me this stuffed dinosaur!" you said, holding up the indigo-colored prehistoric animal.

"He _what_?" they asked in unison, their voices laced in astonishment.

"…What?" you questioned, frowning at their odd reactions.

"…No, it's nothing," Fon said slowly. "It's just -"

"Viper never spends money on anything for anyone," Reborn stated bluntly. "He hardly spends anything on himself."

You blinked and looked up at Viper, whispering, "What are they talking about, Viper?"

"…No idea," Viper said, feigning innocence. He then humph-ed and walked on, seemingly uninterested with the conversation.

Fon chuckled lightly as you ran after him, badly wanting to know what was going on. "Well, he doesn't spend money on just anyone I suppose," he said aloud.

...

..

* * *

Okay, I'm really sorry I didn't read your request carefully. I totally messed up with that. I made Viper adult...when he wasn't supposed to be... I'm soooo sorry. If you want me to change it, I will.

For **Woopa**

Same as before, I adjust to your tastes; so just say the word, and I shall do it!

Did anyone notice this is the story I was fussing so much about? Haha. Sorry if you were expecting something greater, I just wanted to appeal to what everybody likes.

Reviews are always welcome, and criticism as well.

It looks like I'm replacing the blank space with "(name)", or something. Tell me what you'd all prefer I use, okay?


	27. Secret Crush

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!**

* * *

Gokudera: Secret Crush

* * *

You had this really big crush on Gokudera Hayato. But most, if not all, of the girls in your class did, too (the others would be crushing on Yamamoto Takeshi).

He was just really…cool. He was smart (probably a genius), good-looking (an understatement), and nice (in a twisted kind of way).

One would be blind if they didn't think he wasn't the least bit attractive; which was why there was never a day when he wasn't surrounded by admirers.

He had this kind of bad-boy delinquent thing about him, making him appear even cooler in your eyes. But what was so perplexing was, he didn't always act that way.

Once when you had dropped your things in the middle of the hallway he had helped you to pick them up while everyone else passed you by. You were stunned to see him of all people kneel down and help pick up your things. When everything was gathered, he carefully handed over your books and papers and said, "Here. Be more careful next time." You immediately thanked him and watched as he continued on his way without a second glance. If you thought about it carefully, that may have been when you started to (dare you say it) fall in love with him.

You glanced at Gokudera who was sitting in the front on the classroom. You tried hard to pay attention to the teacher's lesson but you always found yourself staring at the back of his head, which was lazily held up by his propped up arm. He wasn't paying attention to the teacher's lecture and instead, was scribbling on a sheet of paper. The teacher knew Gokudera wasn't listening but there was nothing he could do about it due to the fact Gokudera knew exactly what the lesson was about without even looking up at the board.

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. You gathered your things and waited until it was just you and Gokudera left in the classroom. He glanced back at you before heading for the door where he turned back around to watch you follow him out.

"Took you long enough," he scoffed, lightly glaring at you.

You smiled and apologized. "Sorry."

He turned his head away from you and said, "C'mon. Let's go now."

You craned your neck slightly to see his ears were red in embarrassment. Your smile grew wide when you noticed his outstretched hand. It was a signal for you to take it and maybe…hold hands? Without a second thought, you happily took his hand, entwining your fingers with his. You smiled, happily holding hands with Gokudera Hayato, your boyfriend. He made a grunt sound, then pulled you along to leave the building.

You were the envy of a countless number of girls. They probably envied you so much, they'd hate you for life, but that fact alone wouldn't be nearly enough to diminish your admiration for Hayato. He probably didn't even know you liked him this much. You were just happy he chose you.

...

..

* * *

Confused? Don't get mad, okay? It was kind of the point as to why I formatted the whole drabble like this in the first place. It was meant to somewhat confuse you. Although if you immediately anticipated and understood it, that's good, too. XD

Ummm, for **PandiiPooPoo **Same thing applies as well. I'll change watever, especially if you didn't understand it. XD

Again, sorry for the late updates everyone. I apologize for everyone who had been waiting.


	28. Offguard

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!**

* * *

Bel: Off-guard

* * *

You were walking ever so slowly as you trekked around the mansion. Blindfolded.

Going about this was easier said than done. You felt your way around, brushing your hands along the walls and feeling the floor out in front of you with your toes. You honestly felt you were getting the hang of this since you were no longer tripping and stumbling every 10 yards.

You hoped this meant you wouldn't be falling down the stairs anymore. Because that hurts. _Really bad_.

Being blindfolded proved to be extremely discomforting. It forced you to rely on your other four senses alone, two of which were not especially useful in this particular situation (that being taste and smell). You felt utterly powerless without your sense of sight. You felt as though you couldn't trust your other senses to make up for the loss of sight as you could when it worked in harmony with all of your other senses.

"What are you doing?" you heard a curious voice ask, making your blood run cold in shock.

"B-Bel? Is that you?" you asked questionably. You turned, slightly unsure which direction the voice came from.

He ignored your question and instead starting laughing his trademark laugh at your confused and defenseless appearance. "Why are you blindfolded?" he asked, highly amused. "You look ridiculous."

"Lusuria said that this is good practice for me to hone and strengthen my other senses!" you said enthusiastically, finding your new training regimen adventurous and rather exciting. "He said it will be useful if it just so happens my sense of sight would be taken from me or deemed unreliable in a fight!"

"Hmm, is that so~" Bel hummed, waving his hand in front of your cloth-covered eyes and walking around you in a circle.

You whipped your head around when you heard his voice coming from another direction. You heard light footsteps trend softly on the ground back and forth. "Uh, Bel? Where are you?" you asked, holding your hands out to feel for his form, as if he were just inches away.

He stopped in front of you and tilted his head at your confused and unaware behavior. Bel was merely staring at your flustered face as you stood nervously in your spot, waiting for his response.

He leaned down and placed a small kiss upon your lips, knowing fully well you were unprepared, inevitably shocking you and making you retreat back, gaping and blushing like a fool. You flailed your arms around, hoping maybe you'd hit him and said, "H-Hey! Bel! Why'd you do that?" You bit your lip as your face burned, like it was on fire, due to the quick peck on the lips he had given you.

He cackled. "Sorry princess. I couldn't help it."

"That…That was so sly!" you whined, covering your mouth with your hands.

"Well, you're practically blind. It was just too tempting~" Bel chuckled.

You moved your hands away from your mouth and reached up to untie the blindfold. "Bel, you can't just-"

"You're wide open again, princess~" Bel grinned (though you couldn't see it), leaning down once again to kiss you.

You yelled, frustrated at how defenseless you were once again. Unable to successfully take the opportunity to untie the blindfold, you flushed a deeper shade of red as Bel laughed manically at your obvious disadvantage.

...

..

* * *

For **khrhibariluv **Haha, like before, you requested a lot of characters. But I don't mind. If no one wishes to request further, I'll also end up writing your requests if you're still following this story at that time, that is.

Hmm I was going to do something else to this story…but…I forgot. I guess I should've written it down. Nonetheless, if anything is not to your liking, I'll be glad to adjust the story…when I can.


	29. A Thoughtful Gift

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Gokudera: A Thoughtful Gift

* * *

You sauntered toward your destination through the Vongola mansion. You were on your way to the Storm Room to see the one and only, Decimo's right-hand man, Gokudera Hayato. It sort of become a habit to visit every night before you went to bed.

You peeked into the Storm Room to see Gokudera reading a book on U.M.A.s, with glasses resting on the bridge of his nose as he sat by the window elegantly lined with curtains. There was obviously no sun, but there was a wonderfully designed lampshade next to him.

"Hayato, will you play me a song?" you asked, glancing at the grand piano he had moved into the room.

He looked up from his book to observe you. "Again?"

A smile made its way to your face. "Please~?" you asked in a sweet, sugar-coated voice. You loved his music's sound and he would always play for you every night.

"Which song?" he asked, closing his book and removing the glasses from his face. He slid the frames into the neckline of his shirt and let it hang there as he opened the piano cover. He sat down on the bench and turned, looking at you expectantly. "Sit down," he ordered, making room on the bench for you. You rushed over and sat on his right side. He smirked in mild amusement at the look of uncontained excitement on your face as you stared at the keys, ready to hear the harmonious melodies the guardian's hands could produce.

"Play the _Lullaby_ song again?" you requested. You were going to sleep soon, after all. It was quite fitting.

"By Johannes Brahms?" He grunted in approval as he placed his fingers over the keys. It was a short piece, and it worked quite well since he sat on the lower end of the piano. The piece was played mostly on middle C for his right hand, and the lower keys where his left hand played.

He slowly began the song as you watched and listened intently. You felt the emotions laced in every note; peaceful and soft. You almost felt chills, but it made you more sleepy than anything. You yawned and Gokudera smirked, having seen it from the corner of his eye.

By now, the lullaby was finished and Gokudera removed his hands from the keys.

"Aw," you mumbled, your eyelids drooping sleepily. "It's so short."

Gokudera only shrugged. "It can't be helped."

"Well, I guess I should go to bed now," you stated, amazed at how much the piano piece affected you. "Play more songs for me again, okay?" You moved to get up when Gokudera stopped you.

"Wait," he said. "About that…" You sat back down and stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "For the next few months I'll be busy, as Tenth's right hand, so I won't be able to play for you at night anymore. There's a lot of rigorous training and mafia business to do. "

You stared at the keyboard in front of you, brushing your fingers up and down the black and white keys. "Oh. That's too bad," you muttered in great disappointment. After all, you really liked Gokudera's music.

"I'll lend you a CD of some good composers," he said, trying to be thoughtful and considerate towards your feelings. You had told him that his piano playing partially helped you sleep at night.

He massaged the nape of his neck awkwardly as he observed your downcast expression. "Well, good luck with work," you said, faking a tired smile. "I'm really sleepy now. Goodnight, Hayato. Thanks for playing for me tonight."

"Yeah. Night," he replied, watching you leave the room. He turned back to his piano, slowly getting lost in thought.

You thought you wouldn't be able to sleep after hearing Gokudera's news, but it turns out you were sleepier than you thought you were. You drifted to sleep mere minutes after your head hit the pillow.

It was probably the middle of the night when you heard sharp knocking at your door. You reluctantly got up, not exactly awake or logical. You didn't bother to wander who was at the door, just knew it could be anyone. You just wanted to open it and go back to bed. You dragged yourself to the door and opened it wide open (illogically), and blinked multiple times at the visitor. Realizing it was Gokudera, you rubbed the sleep from your eyes as best you could and looked back up at him. "What is it?" you asked, trying not to be rude.

"I just came to give you this," Gokudera said, trying not to fluster or panic…too much. He held out a CD in a clear case with your name scribbled on it with a black marker.

"Huh?" you inquired, taking the CD from his hands. You wondered why he would give it to you now of all times.

"It's got all the songs you like," he explained. "I played them on my piano, recorded them, and burned them into the disc."

Your eyes grew wide in realization. "That's so thoughtful," you said incredulously, completely touched by his gift.

"I know you like it when I play the piano," he said, eyes fixed on the floor. "You can listen to that until I'll be able to play for you again."

"Thank you!" you exclaimed, attacking him with a hug. "You're the best!"

For a brief moment, the poor boy was frozen in shock until he snapped out of his stupor to pry you off. "Che! Don't get so emotional, woman!" he retorted. You only smiled in return, despite the fact it was the middle of the night. He turned to leave and bid you goodnight with a grumble as he left.

You hastily shut the door and opened the case to play the disc on your music player. You wanted to find out if all the songs you liked were really in there. You found they were all there as you skimmed through, recognizing every one of the songs. Including Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_, Brahms's _Lullaby_, and Debussy's _Clair de Lune_.

You sighed contently as you listened to Gokudera's piano, the melodies lulling you back to sleep.

You couldn't help but smile at the thought that Gokudera had played the piano with you in mind.

. . .

. .

* * *

Requested by **Euraine**


	30. Priorities First

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Shoichi: Priorities First

* * *

"You're always working, Shoichi," you said from the small couch you were occupying in his room. You had come to his work room looking for something to do. And you were still looking. "You'll get worry lines on your face."

A soft sigh escaped Shoichi's lips. "Just sit quietly and be good."

You shook your head. "Shoichi! Play with me!" you whined, bored out of your mind.

"Sorry. I can't today," he replied, rapidly typing on his laptop, then taking a document and flipping through it. "I have to put priorities first."

You slightly pouted in disappointment. He always said that. "Like what?" you inquired. "What's your top priority?"

He shot a nervous glance at you. "Uh…I can't say," he answered, going back to typing on his laptop.

You stared thoughtfully at him. "Don't tell me it's got something to do with Byakuran?" you said, almost accusingly.

"S-Sort of," Shoichi mumbled, trying to avoid a direct answer.

"How mean," you said. "You'd rather work all day for Byakuran than spend time with me."

"Ah, n-no, it's not…like that," Shoichi stammered, unsure of how to calm you, but you were already on your feet to leave.

"No, I understand completely!" you exclaimed with much dramatization. You made your way out of Shoichi's work room.

"Ah! Wait…!" Shoichi knew you were over-acting but he didn't want to make you genuinely angry.

"Enjoy your bro-mance!" you said, inaccurately using the figurative expression as you animatedly stomped away.

"B-B-Bro-mance?" Shoichi wondered out loud, "What's…that?" He sighed tiredly. You and he both knew you would be back tomorrow to hang out, so he didn't worry too much.

He slammed his head on the desk and let it rest there as he sighed yet again. _Geez, I can't tell her_, he thought, frustrated. _I can't tell her that her safety, and keeping her safe from Byakuran's clutches, is my priority._

_. . ._

_. ._

* * *

For **Azueian**

* * *

Mannequin . Bear: Sorry for making you wait even longer, but I'm working on your Xanxus (I chose him, hope you don't mind ^^) story, and I hope I'll be able to post it soon.

Emily Sinclair: Sorry for the continuous wait, but your Gokudera story is well on its way!

finklemeire: I'm sorry for the delay! Your story is also in the process!

miya-chan40: I'm sorry for the wait! But I don't know why you think I wouldn't write your story! *-* Truthfully, I've written most of it, but it's not that great...and is processing!

Yamihanao: mhm, yeah, my videogames are stored away somewhere. And you say take my time but...I think I took long enough already... so...sorry. ): I'll try to update soon!


	31. Leaving An Old Life Behind

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Warning: OOC-ness (Rated: T)/mainly focused on Reborn/almost everything that _may _seem factual regarding Reborn is made up (don't know if it's actually true)

I left out detailed information so most of the story is left to the imagination. The setting, time, and place is up to you.

* * *

Adult!Reborn: Leaving an Old Life Behind

* * *

Reborn already knew it was too dangerous for you to stay near him. Even being the top hit man that he was, he knew he wouldn't always be around to protect you and save your incompetent self from the slightest signs of danger, all the while maintaining your innocence and ignorance towards mafia affairs.

As tempting as it was, he couldn't just neglect his duties, resign from the mafia, or take you away to the farthest corners of the world where no one would be able to find you. One was a Mafioso for life; one couldn't just up and quit. They'd find him. No matter what - no matter how far he ran, no matter how many times he would change his alias, no matter how many disguises he put on - enemy families would find him and kill him. And he couldn't risk putting you in danger. No way in seven hells would he let that happen.

It is besides the point that, for one, he's a prideful man. He will never run away unless the odds are against him in overwhelming proportions. (Never in his life will he leave the country and go incognito so cowardly. In his opinion, that would be a pathetic excuse of a man, former hit man or not.) Two, he's painfully dedicated to the Vongola Boss and will never _just quit_ the mafia. After all, how could he when he's so infamous? If you somehow managed to quit the life of a Mafioso, it was incredibly hard to erase the past along with the former identity. And of course, three; the mafia is his way of life. He knows no other life but that of continuous bloodshed and war. Never will he be content without the familiar feel of his gun in his hand, safety unlatched and ready to shoot.

He can't leave it all behind just because he was attached to someone _not_ in the mafia - it was unorthodox.

_Because_ you are not of the mafia he has to protect you in order to keep you, though he mustn't.

Because you are not in the mafia, he knows he cannot keep you.

He cannot have you.

You cannot be together.

All because you are not in the mafia.

. . . . .

"Hurry and go." Reborn's voice held the slightest tone of gentleness as he spoke. "Your family has waited long enough as it is, I trust."

Your solemn expression had little effect on the determined man who stood at the doorstep of your vacant (former) house. "This was your doing, wasn't it?" you inquired. "You moved my family to that bloody town 500 miles away from here…"

"I merely assisted in finding a suitable house for you," came Reborn's indifferent reply. _For your safety_, he thought bitterly. "You and I both know they've wanted to move away from this town for quite awhile."

You nodded, knowing full well your family despised him, suspicious of his character. Everyone thought you spending so much time with Reborn was unacceptable. They couldn't accept any sort of relationship with him, intimate or not. They thought separating the two of you was for the best.

Reborn did not object with their decision or opinions, and even agreed with them. On multiple occasions, he would mention how you shouldn't have gotten too close to him in the first place, for your own good.

Whatever it was your family thought about him, he suspected was probably true. He was a bad influence. He had dangerous connections. And he had a horrible personality. What more convincing did you need?

Now this was the part that troubled him the most. You insisted that Reborn was a good and decent man; no matter how much he would try to convince you otherwise.

"Stay safe," Reborn muttered as you turned to leave.

"You too," you replied, just to be polite. You didn't know what his job was, but you always suspected it to be dangerous considering how vigilant Reborn always seemed to be, with his guard always up and eyes calculating everything in sight. "Goodbye, Reborn," you called over your shoulder. You had been searching for a hug from the uptight man, but upon noting his sudden coldness towards you, you neglected such ideas.

A smile would suffice as your parting gift.

His heart ached at the sight of it.

. . . .

"Hey…is this…okay?" Lal asked, staring intently at you, almost in disappointment. She crossed her arms over her stomach.

"…Who knows," Colonello answered, laughing in amusement. He was sitting next to Lal on the sofa across from you. You could feel their stares on you, like you were some sort of caged animal on display.

"I can't believe she ran away," Lal scoffed, shaking her head.

"Is it really running away if she comes back, kora?" Colonello commented, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Of course it is!" Lal snapped. "She left her family back in that distant, faraway town!"

"Okay, okay. I get it. Chill, kora," Colonello said, raising his hands up defensively and smiling uneasily. You couldn't help but smile at their old-marriage-couple bickering.

Lal turned away from him and said, "Anyway, did you send for Reborn yet?" Your smile dropped and your heart rate quickened at the mention of his name.

"Yeah," came Colonello's answer. "I sent word that gave a short, blunt mention of this runaway's name here. He'll probably come running over here any minute now." He grinned knowingly. "After all, y'know how he gets with everything that concerns her, even with the smallest of things." You frowned as Colonello talked about you so nonchalantly as if you weren't sitting in front of him. "But…that's why he doesn't like me mentioning her. Right now, Reborn probably thinks I'm teasing him and will soon come to kill me."

Lal nodded at this, foreseeing Reborn's uncharacteristic behavior around you. "So Reborn doesn't even know she's here?" You sighed as they continued to speak of you so rudely and without a care.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing the Sun Arcobaleno who looked as if he just ran a five mile sprint. "Colonello, you prick," Reborn growled as he heaved at the doorway, gun in hand. "I'll slaughter you."

"Please do your best to control yourselves," Lal spoke, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop the two stubborn hit men from fighting anyway, "seeing as we have a guest." She turned to look at Reborn so that she would be able to witness his reaction upon sensing your presence.

Reborn, who had been intent on ignoring Lal entirely while mincing the combat expert with a fork, paused at the mention of a guest, and swept his gaze across the room until it landed on your thoughtful expression.

"What are you doing here?" Reborn demanded, his mood quickly turning livid. Everyone winced at his bone chilling voice, caught off guard with his sudden change of tone. He cast furtive glances over to the other occupants and said, "Colonello, Lal. Leave us."

"Shit," Colonello mumbled under his breath. You met his cerulean gaze as he said, "Careful, _(Name)_."

You gave him a pleading look as he offered you a reassuring smile. As Lal followed her blonde-haired companion out the door, she turned to Reborn and said, "Don't be so harsh on her."

Without sparing the blue-haired trainer a glance, Reborn slammed the door in their faces, causing Lal to flush red with fury.

Reborn moved away from the door and knelt down in front of you. "What are you doing here?" he repeated his earlier question as he looked up at you. "Why did you leave your family?" You opened your mouth to confess your answer but the words barely made it out as you took in his pained expression. You forced them out despite his confusing expression, saying, "I missed you so much, Reborn. I...couldn't do it. I knew I couldn't go another day without seeing you. So I - "

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Reborn cut in sharply. He moved in front of you, his upper body leering over you, hands on either side of the cushioned armrests of the chair you occupied. You looked to the side, refusing to meet his gaze, and unable to comprehend his question. "Do you know what you've done? You're such an idiot! You idiot…" Alarmed with the sudden string of insults, you looked up at him only to meet his pleading gaze. "If you stay with me, you can't go back. Ever."

You held his smoldering gaze and said, "I don't care."

"You're so stupid, _(Name)_," he breathed, feeling as though his efforts were futile and all in vain. "Why did you do that?"

You contemplated whether you should tell this stubborn man how much you loved him. You thought it would be obvious with you running away and all, but it seems he's denying the whole idea of it. Typical.

"Because I love you, idiot," you confessed, leaning up to kiss his cheek for added effect.

This seemed to spark something in him as he swiftly leaned down and captured your mouth in a eager kiss, breaking it numerously to continue to insult you. "You're such…a stupid idiot," he breathed against your lips, "So stupid, do you know that? I don't understand you…" He broke another kiss. "I thought I had people all figured out…until you went and defied all of my logical reasoning…" You couldn't get a word in in-between his breath-taking kisses - you wondered how he was able to speak as he kissed you. "I don't understand you at all."

You pushed Reborn away slightly, almost completely breathless, and covered your mouth so you would be able to speak without interruption. You frowned up at his piercing gaze and said, "How dare you _insult_ me so numerously after I tell you that I _love _you?" You let out a frustrated yell. "You infuriating man!"

A smirk played on his features, making you fume at the arrogance that rolled in waves off this insufferable man. Your anger was quickly forgotten upon hearing his unexpected request.

"Join the mafia. I'll show you the world you just got yourself into."

. . .

. .

* * *

Anyway, for **PandiiPooPoo**


	32. The Wine is Off Limits!

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Warning: Lots of cursing (Rated: T/borderline M) What rating do you give swearing anyway?

* * *

Xanxus: The Wine is Off-Limits!

* * *

You cast furtive glances over to Xanxus who was leisurely sipping his glass of red wine, periodically analyzing his mood status as he watched his subordinates' antics in the dining room. He seemed relatively calm, lost in thought, until he suddenly chucked his glassful of expensive wine at Squalo's skull, efficiently staining his silver hair in the process. You flinched at his sudden action while Squalo immediately turned to the Vongola Tenth candidate and let out a string of curses in a loud, questioning manner.

Xanxus responds with a hard glare set on Squalo and says, "Where the fuck's the food?"

As Xanxus' personal wine keeper/manager (an entirely made up position but nonetheless _very_ important and having been assigned to you) you immediately decided he had wasted enough wine (from both his intake and on Squalo's soaked hair) and made your way over to the head of the table where Xanxus sat.

You swiped the wine bottle from his grasp and said, "That's enough, Xanxus. No more wine for today."

A part of the job was to manage his intake of alcohol, even though it seemed Xanxus would never get drunk. But most importantly it was to make sure he didn't waste any of the expensive liquid, especially on Squalo's head. The stuff was so darn expensive that an average middle-class worker on minimum wage would find himself on the brink of bankruptcy for only three paid bottles; that and Squalo hates the continuous abuse in which his head is used as target practice and the weapon of choice is a 150 mile per hour glass shattering against his skull.

Xanxus had immediately rejected both you and the establishment of the ridiculous position, but after awhile and a lot of restraining from his subordinates, he got used to it and accepted it as part of his daily routine. Like now, for example.

He only looks at the bottle in your hand, then meets your eyes and glares contemptuously. A dangerous growl, which doesn't affect you now, rumbles in his throat but he turns away, letting you leave with the precious liquid. His attention is taken away and focused now on the medium rare steak placed in front of him.

Gently placing the heavy bottle in his wine cabinet like you always do, along with all of the wine glasses within the mansion for Squalo's benefit, you close and lock the cabinet doors with a key only you possess. You kept this key around your neck, strung in a chain under your shirt where you were sure Xanxus would never even try to take from.

You sighed deeply as you stared at the glass and wood wine cabinet. You've had this job for a few months, almost a year now, but you were unsure how you still maintained your position and managed to stay alive this long considering the mental instability of the Varia boss. If he wanted to he could just break the glass with a fist or blast it open and risk shattering the fragile bottles whenever he wanted - he didn't need the damn key.

Surprisingly, he possessed enough self-control not to destroy the wine cabinet and was tame enough to live off a set amount of wine a day.

On your way back to the dining room you met Squalo, who glared, stomped right past you, and said, "Next time, take the wineglass before he fucking throws it at me."

. . . . .

As you the locked the wine cabinet, your name suddenly rumbled throughout the mansion.

"That sounded like Squalo," you mutter as you made your way to the dining room. You see Squalo rushing over to you shouting, "Where have you been? You're supposed to be keeping track of how much wine our shitty boss drinks!"

Your forehead crinkles into a frown. "I just gave him a newly opened bottle for dinner, like always," you explain, following Squalo down to the dining room. "That was…what, only three minutes ago?"

"Well, he's nearly emptied the whole bottle already! He's chugging the bottle down to the last drop!"

"WHAT! He isn't supposed to have so much!" you exclaim, breaking into a sprint to the dining room. You found Xanxus sitting in his usual seat at the head of the table, bottle in hand, and a set glare that seemed as though it would become his permanent expression. You noticed that he didn't pour the liquid into his wineglass like he usually did. You looked at him in concern since he was usually more civil when enjoying his favorite beverage; when he wasn't throwing his wineglasses at Squalo that is. "Xanxus, that's enough. Stop drinking," you say firmly. With a considerable amount of effort, you manage to take the bottle from his hands.

"Woman, give that back," he orders, his tone low and intimidating.

"You've had enough," you reply sternly. "You're not allowed to drink this much wine."

"Don't fucking order me around. It's almost fucking empty so I'm finishing that goddamn bottle," he states apathetically, then smirks darkly. "You wouldn't want it to go to waste now, would you?"

You blink, knowing that he's right. The first thought that enters your head was drinking the blasted wine yourself, in which Xanxus wouldn't have to drink the rest, and not a single drop would be wasted. You swallow down your nervousness and without a second thought, you gulp down the last of the bottle's contents. It takes a few seconds, but you finally put the bottle down and say, "There. It's finished." As the taste lingers in your mouth, you can only think that there was more in that bottle than you thought.

You flinch when Xanxus suddenly stands, causing his chair to fall backwards. You see the extent of his wrath written across his face, his fury blazing. "What the fuck are you thinking, trash? That. Was. Mine." He suddenly grabs you by the collar while your hands shoot up to your neck instinctively, thinking he would try to take the key to the wine cabinet.

"Hey! What're you - !" you start, afraid your clothes would rip, but he pulls you forward until your mouth met his in a bruising kiss. Your heart rate skyrockets when you feel his _tongue _enter your mouth as if searching for whatever remained of his precious wine.

Meanwhile, Xanxus was only growing more irritated as he found he could no longer taste the last remaining remnants of the liquid. He pulls away and curses, "Shit." You try to push away from him but his grip was like iron. Again, he crashes his mouth over yours, this time not searching for the taste of wine. You want to protest and push away but Xanxus, being much stronger, holds you in place.

After the longest minute of your life, Xanxus gathers what little self-control he had with much difficulty and releases you, pushing you away hard enough to make you stumble over your feet. You take several steps back, putting a hand over the key that lay hidden beneath your collar while watching his movements cautiously.

"Next time," he says threateningly, "don't you dare drink my wine again." He glowers at your flushed face and turns to leave.

You glare at his retreating figure and mutter, "Jerk." He didn't have to push you that hard.

You felt your face burn, your cheeks darkening rapidly. He didn't have to kiss you either.

. . . .

You later find out the reason for his original irritation: the Ninth had made a definite decision to make Sawada Tsunayoshi the heir to the title of Vongola's Tenth Boss.

That meant that Xanxus hadn't been just angry. He was furious. Seething. Outraged. Livid.

As you contemplate this, you think that it would have been best if you had just left him alone, considering it could have turned out much worse.

. . .

. .

* * *

For **Mannequin . Bear **(I'm sorry I put the spaces...but your penname keeps disappearing! Dx)


	33. Heart and Soul

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Gokudera: Heart and Soul

* * *

Gokudera Hayato sat on the bench staring at the uncovered piano keys, open for him to play. He could always think better whenever he played piano. But he didn't touch a single key.

He had to think up a flawless strategy for an upcoming job. He had managed to think up countless arrangements and protocols, all flawed. He mauled over the many aspects, conjuring up various simulations fastidiously in his head but nothing seemed to work.

And this is where his real problem began.

He couldn't think up a master plan if he couldn't think properly.

He couldn't think properly because he couldn't play without messing up after every measure.

But he couldn't play properly because a certain someone was too busy and he couldn't get so much as a glimpse of the ephemeral girl.

_I should keep a picture of her with me_, Hayato thought hopelessly as he played the E and A scales. He closed his eyes and pictured a face he hadn't seen in days. He began a melody when his finger slipped, having forgotten the next note. He slammed his hands down on the keys, letting a jumble of notes echo throughout the ballroom.

The messy blend of notes drifted to your ears as you approached the ballroom. You wondered if he was mad about something since he would never treat his piano like that. Opening the door and cracking it open to peek in, you asked, "What's wrong, Hayato? That didn't flow at all."

His head snapped up in your direction. He seemed speechless for a moment, then he asked, "What are you doing here?"

You frowned at his impolite question but replied, "Takeshi told me to help you with your strategy. He even took all my work from me. So…I have no choice but to help you."

Gokudera's eye twitched. _So that baseball freak knew. Damn, am I see-through?_ For even the mindless baseball nut to notice, he wondered if everyone else did, too.

Approaching the piano where the Storm Guardian sat, you said, "You're usually really good at planning out strategies so I thought I would just bother you. But it looks like you're having some trouble." You knew playing piano helped him think when he had trouble solving puzzles beyond him.

He glanced in your direction when you took a seat next to him and muttered, "Yeah."

"So what can I help you with?" you asked in a positive tone, pressing random piano keys, then playing the C scale with your right hand (the easiest scale Gokudera taught you).

"…You don't have to do anything," Gokudera responded, softly playing the first part of Heart and Soul. "You're already helping."

You hoped that wasn't sarcasm because you didn't see how you helped anything. You were doing absolutely _nothing_ and now you felt useless as Gokudera played the beginning of _La Campanella _by Paganini and Liszt, a song you knew to be rather fast paced. "Hey, should I leave?" you slowly asked, mesmerized as his hands blurred across the keyboard. "I'm not helping you very much."

He abruptly stopped, turned to you and said, "No, stay. I need you here," in a oddly urgent tone.

"Okay," you answered unsurely, wondering why your presence was important at the moment. He sighed and decided he should confess the truth of his puzzling predicament. He turned a full 180 from his original position and took your hand, raising it to indicate he wanted you to stand.

"Come here," he said, tugging lightly on your hand when you stood to walk around the bench. You took your time making your way to stand in front of him while he patiently waited to take your other hand. "The truth is," he paused, inhaling slowly, "I'm not able to play as well when you're not around. And I can't think as well when I can't play." He brought your hands up to his mouth, his lips brushed your knuckles. "I need your presence, I need to see you, so I can think clearly."

You moved a hand up to brush the hair away from his eyes. "Are you thinking clearly now?" you asked in a steady voice despite your racing heart.

"Yes. I already thought up a good foundation for the plan but there's a lot I still didn't take into account," the Storm Guardian replied monotonously.

"Then play," you suggested with a smile. "I'm here, so you can play right?" A small smile tugged the corners of his mouth as he turned back to his piano.

You watched him place his fingers back on the keyboard and start the very ending of the _La Campanella_ song, skipping the whole middle part. It was a four minute song and you realized it was tiring to play a song for four minutes at such a fast pace.

Once the song reached its end, you placed your hands over his shoulders reassuringly, but Gokudera grabbed your hands and pulled your arms around his neck. He closed his eyes and said, "I have the perfect strategy."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Emily Sinclair**

_La Campanella_ is a classical song (etude); it means "The Little Bell". _Heart and Soul_ is also a song.

MuShRoOm 3: I'm so glad I was able to make you laugh that day :D and your welcome. However, I don't see your e-mail so I won't be able to contact you as you would've wanted. :/ I suggest making an account so I could personally update you as you'd like...


	34. His Little Games

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

I figured it's about time I updated. So here it is; just a short...whatever it is. Please enjoy.

* * *

Giotto: His Little Games

* * *

You cast a furtive glance towards Giotto. He was seated at the head of the long rectangular table, with you seated at his left side. You sat across from G, who sat at his right hand. Quickly refocusing your attention on the current discussion, you proceeded to listen intently on whatever the hell the meeting was about.

It wasn't long, however, when your thoughts drifted due to a somewhat short attention span and the voice of an elderly man droning on and on, boring you utterly senseless. It was remarkably impressive how everyone could keep their attention completely focused on the bickering old geezers. Your eyes eventually wandered to Giotto, completely unaware you were now staring.

Giotto noticed this and you both blinked when you locked eyes with each other. Giotto saw a look of surprise cross your face before your cheeks heated up, causing his lips to twitch up in a smirk.

Giotto always liked to irk you whenever he could. It was sometimes the most amusing thing he would get out of his strict, pre-scheduled lifestyle. It was always just little things from simple teasing to subtle pranks, since he had much better things to do as a mafia boss. They were like little games to him. He continually showed a side of himself to you others rarely, or if ever, saw.

It surprised you at first when he would pull such stunts, because it was absolutely _childish_. You still found it entertaining though, and your unusual interactions with him were the high point of your day when he would momentarily stray your attention from your boring, monotonous routine.

Even after locking eyes, you didn't look away, curiously wondering how he would react if you initiated a staring contest just to annoy him. Giotto raised a brow at your boldness and rested his tilted head upon his palm, showing he wasn't about to back down from a challenge. As you both continued your little staring contest, he still didn't look away until you finally broke eye contact, the intensity of his gaze making you uncomfortable rather quickly. He had an exceptional knack for such things.

A deep, amused chuckle reached your ears, making your face heat up in embarrassment.

"Primo?" The elderly men had stopped their discussion and turned their attentions to the mafia boss seated at the head of the table, as well as his Guardians. "Is something funny, Primo?" You looked down shamefully, feeling as though you've been caught and just got Giotto in trouble.

"What is the matter?" another one asked, almost irritably.

"It is nothing of concern," was Giotto's calm reply. "Continue." He picked up a document of which the issue was about and took part in their discussion, fully confident and composed like the mafia boss he should be.

But as you observed him from the corner of your eye, you knew that for a short moment, he had been just a kid.

* * *

Okay...so I skipped the Yamamoto story...sorry! D: I'll do it next!

For **Miya-chan40  
**well here it is! hope you like it!

Uhh...whenever "later" is...I'll edit this then.


	35. Indirect

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Yamamoto: Indirect

* * *

"It's hot," you complained, shielding your eyes from the blazing sun. You could almost see the heat waves baking the ground. But as you watched the game you felt sorry for Yamamoto who was playing in such dreaded heat. If you were perspiring from just sitting down he must be sweating bucket loads running in the scorching heat.

"It's really hoooot," Tsuna complained with a sigh, earning a kick to the head from Reborn.

"Stop whining about the heat," the Arcobaleno reprimanded. "I'm tired of listening to you complain."

"But-but I wasn't the only one complaining! She-" Tsuna was pointing at you until he was kicked in the face.

"Be quiet," was the scathing response. You brought your eyes forward in fear of receiving the same punishment as Dame-Tsuna. Perhaps it was a mistake going with Tsuna and his family to Yamamoto's game. However, it seemed this was a very important game to Yamamoto. Reborn had insisted that their Rain Guardian would be ecstatic seeing his friends support him since it was Regionals.

"Hmm? What's happening?" you asked while taking a sip of water from your water bottle. You watched the teams retreat back in to the sheltered benches.

"They're taking a break," Reborn stated.

"Thank goodness!" Nana exclaimed with a sigh. "God forbid any one of them get a heat stroke in this weather! They're much too young."

"AH! Yamamoto!" Tsuna said. Everyone turned to see Yamamoto clad in his baseball uniform, perspiring, and a bright smile on his flushed face.

"Hi guys! Glad you could make it!" He smiled at you and you were glad you came to cheer him on.

"H-Hey, are you allowed to come here?" Tsuna asked in great concern.

"I don't know," Yamamoto laughed lightly. "Anyway, I came over here 'cuz I saw _(Name)_ drinking water."

"Huh?" you asked. "Water?"

"Yeah," he grinned. "Can I have some? I forgot to bring my water and I'm really thirsty."

"Oh. Of course. Go ahead," you said, handing him your water bottle. You blinked when his lips met the mouth of the bottle without any hesitation. No waterfall? "Um, keep it. You can have it all," you said as he gulped the water down.

"Huh? It's okay. I don't need it," he said, holding it back up to you.

"No, no. You're the one playing in such hot weather. There's only some left, so finish it. " You pushed it away, almost fainting at the idea of sharing an indirect kiss (although he already had your indirect kiss) with him.

"Thanks, _(Name)_!" He grinned innocently as you shyly looked away. "I gotta get back to my game now guys. Bye! Wish me luck!"

"Good luck," Nana waved with a smile.

Tsuna stared on with a light blush staining his cheeks. "…Isn't …that-"

"Shush," Nana interrupted with a smile, inwardly fawning over the indirect kiss Yamamoto had innocently taken from you.

. . . . .

"Hmm. It tastes sweet," Yamamoto said aloud, eyeing the bottle curiously.

His team member glanced at the bottle in his hands. "Where did you get that? You know they give water out here, right?"

"Huh? Oh." He laughed lightly. "I completely forgot. I was really thirsty y'know?

"Here, I'll get you one. It's really cold."

"Nah, I'll finish this first. It's good."

. . .

. .

* * *

For **finklemeire** Thanks for waiting. I saw you had requested twice because I was sooo slow in updating. Thank you readers for your patience and following me to this point.


	36. Innocent Marshmallows & Naive Chocolates

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Warning: Major OOC/FAIL attempt at humor (this is what happens when you ask me to write humor - don't say I didn't warn you)

* * *

Byakuran: Innocent Marshmallows and Naïve Chocolates

* * *

You watched in mild interest as Shoichi and Byakuran played Battleships in front of you while you munched on some foreign chocolates from Switzerland. Byakuran had childishly begged Shoichi to play out of boredom while Shoichi insisted he had work to do (unlike the Millifiore boss apparently). Eventually the weak-willed redhead relented to play since it would prevent him from doing any more treacherous work that usually resulted in nervous/emotional/mental breakdowns and of course, gruesome stomachaches.

As Byakuran patiently waited for Shoichi to plot his next move, he leaned back and announced, "I'm hungry." Shoichi lifted his wary gaze towards the violet-eyed figure and sighed when the latter asked, "Sho-chan, do you have any marshmallows?"

"Yeah, let me go get them…" Shoichi muttered, lifting himself out of the chair and dragging himself to his hidden stash of marshmallows, reserved especially for Byakuran. "If you even attempt to cheat, Byakuran, all your marshmallows will be roasting over my next bonfire," Shoichi called over his shoulder.

"Eh? Relax, Sho-chan, I won't! Don't be hasty now." Byakuran smiled uneasily, fearful for his innocent marshmallows just waiting to be united with him. "I didn't even know Sho-chan liked bonfires," Byakuran mused with a chuckle once Shoichi was out of earshot.

You paused thoughtfully for a moment before stating, "Shoichi-kun sometimes burns his paperwork because it gives him nightmares at night." And day, you added inwardly.

"Oh? Is that where all his work mysteriously disappears to?" Byakuran questioned curiously, an amused smile on his lips.

"Ehhh! That's…That's not true!" Shoichi exclaimed in alarm, an embarrassed blush staining his cheeks as he entered the room. He explained defensively, "I don't burn my paperwork at the bonfires!"

"Oh, I see," Byakuran's mouth was shaped like an O. "You probably shoved a stick through them and lightly toast them at the edges, right?"

"N-No!" Shoichi insisted, his blush darkening. "An–Anyway, I have to get back to work. Here are your marshmallows."

"You're the best, Sho-chan!" Byakuran chimed as Shoichi Irie headed for the door.

"I don't know why you like marshmallows so much. I think chocolate is a much better treat," you proclaimed as Byakuran stuffed his face with the soft confection.

An exaggerated gasp left Byakuran's lips as if he had just taken a direct hit to his ego. "How dare you insult the heavenly perfection that is marshmallows? None can equal its greatness!"

You begged to differ. "Chocolate is better by far," you simply stated in a matter of fact tone.

"No. Marshmallows are better," Byakuran challenged.

"Chocolate is the best," you countered.

"Marshmallows are the meaning of life," came the immature reply.

"Chocolate," you insisted.

"Marshmallows," was the stubborn retort.

"Chocolate!" you childishly remarked.

"Marshmallows!" was his amazingly childish whine.

"This is ridiculous!" you exclaimed, unable to continue such an annoying game. "Chocolate is better. End. Of. Story."

"WHAT! Unacceptable!"

"It only makes sense," you explained. "I mean, marshmallows don't even have a flavor - just sugar, I bet. Biting into that thing is like a one way ticket to a heart attack!"

"Well at least mine doesn't come from beans – beans from an ungodly tree thousands of miles away from here!" Byakuran fired back, intent on winning your little squabble.

You gave the mafia boss a strange look. "You mean _cocoa_ _beans_?"

"Whatever~!"

"Cocoa beans aren't even real beans…! They're just called that!"

"Beans are beans! The fact remains the same," Byakuran insisted stubbornly.

"Well, at least I know where mine comes from! I mean what the hell are marshmallows anyway? Why does it have such a strange shape? Why does it feel like so weird? What, in the name of all that is edible, is it _made_ of?

"It's made from the clouds of heaven of course~!" Byakuran stated proudly. "That's why it's so fluffy and soft." You remained silent at the stupidity of his answer. "You'd understand if you just tried one," Byakuran said, shoving a marshmallow in front of your face.

You frowned and turned your head away. "I already have. They're not that great." You much preferred your chocolate over his marshmallows.

Now, Byakuran, unused to being denied so much in one day, decided he would force you to see the light. "Give me those," Byakuran said irritably, snatching the chocolates from your hands and quickly holding it out of your reach.

"Hey, what are you doing?" you practically screeched. You tackled him when you found your arms were too short to seize your addictive sweets. This action led to both of you toppling to the floor in a very ungraceful manner.

You blinked when you realized you held a bag of marshmallows in your hands instead of your chocolates. "My marshmallows," Byakuran whined while eyeing the bag in your hands longingly.

"Give me back my chocolates and I'll give these back," you explained while holding out your free hand. You stared at each other for a moment without moving from your spots on the floor.

"No," Byakuran said firmly.

"You don't want them ba – " your grip on the marshmallows loosened when Byakuran suddenly placed his mouth upon yours. Byakuran quickly took his favorite sweets from your grasp and grinned triumphantly.

"Too naïve," he smirked teasingly.

Your glare was mixed with a pout. You eyed your chocolates and planned your revenge. You tackled him down and mimicked his earlier actions, successfully retrieving your chocolates. You quickly got up and said, "Now we're even."

You escaped the room while he stared up at the ceiling somewhat dazed, not having moved an inch from where you had left him. "Damn," he murmured.

. . .

. .

* * *

For **Yamihanao**

I'm aware the title doesn't make sense...a lot of things didn't...


	37. Distraction

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Verde: Distraction

* * *

"Verde~? Are you busy?" you called out upon entering his evil lair...er, private laboratory.

"Don't use me as an excuse for neglecting your work," was the immediate response.

You smiled sheepishly. "How did you know?"

"There is nothing on this earth I do not know. You offend me with your thoughtless questions." The calculative genius did not look up from the computerized device in front of him, refusing to deter his attention from whatever scheme he was plotting out. "I'm in the middle of solving one of the greatest contradictory enigmas of the world. Quite a conundrum, I do say. With the premises I had conjured, the quagmire has only become more convoluted in detail and – "

"Didn't I ask you to use simpler words when you talk to me?"

"And so, you have no business here. Leave." Verde's hand waved stiffly to shoo you away.

"But I came looking for that cute robot you hid somewhere down here," you explained, already rummaging through the various materials neatly stacked away.

"Hey, get away from there!" Verde said irritably. "How dare you encroach so insolently upon my experimental tools?" He glared intensely, boring holes into the back of your head.

"But it's your fault for hiding it. You made it for me, didn't you?" You looked back at him with a look on your face that made him feel a strange pang of guilt.

"I was going to dismantle it because it had parts necessary for my next experiment," he pushed his glasses back and added, "Besides, it was defective to begin with."

"What kind of experiment needs such small parts from a tiny robot?" you asked curiously.

"The kind I'm working on right now! It's…" he trailed off when he looked back at his computer. He paled upon realizing he had interrupted his train of thought. His next step…what was it?

From over his shoulder you observed the long, complicated equation decorated across the entire screen. "I'm sorry!" you exclaimed in sudden realization. "I'm distracting you, aren't I? I'm so sorry. I didn't realize until – "

"It's fine," Verde said with a sigh, his hand rose to silence your pointless rambling. "I suppose it's to be expected with your short attention span." He tried to refocus on his prior ponderings.

"I said I'm sorry!" you remarked, angered by his insult.

"And I said, it's fine, didn't I?" Your eyes widened slightly when a faint smile played on his lips. "You're my favorite distraction."

You opened your mouth to respond but he grabbed your wrist and dragged you across the room.

"But you must leave now. This experiment, like many others, is of vital importance and needs immediate attention," he said as he kicked you out. "Go somewhere else." With that, he slammed the door behind you.

You paused and thoughtfully stared at the door. "Maybe I should bother him more often."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Chiri-tan **


	38. The Excuse

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR!

* * *

Dino: The Excuse

* * *

"Where's Boss?" Romario asked.

"Dino?" You paused thoughtfully. You hadn't seen him all day. "I don't know," you replied.

"He must be taking a break then," he said, answering his own question. "In the stables, I suppose. Why don't you take a break as well?"

"Me? Well…okay," you responded. You wondered what Dino would be doing in the stables so you started outside to check up on him.

"Where are you going?" you asked upon seeing Dino mount his horse.

"Hm? Oh, just for a walk through the fields," Dino replied with a carefree smile. "Wanna join me?"

"Can I? I'll get another horse," you said excitedly.

"No, come here." Dino had leaned down and grabbed your arm.

"Huh? You mean, ride with you?" you questioned. You thought riding on one saddle would be rather uncomfortable for the riders. "Wouldn't that strain poor Scuderia?"

"Oh, he'll be fine as long as it's not long distances. He's got strong legs," Dino said urgently, holding out his hand. "Now climb on."

You took his hand hesitantly and he immediately helped you up to sit in front of him. You suddenly felt nervous. "I don't understand why I can't ride my own horse," you mumbled embarrassedly.

His arms tightened around your waist and you heard a happy hum rumble in his throat. "No reason, really. It's just an excuse to hold you." You were about to object but he quickly took hold of the reins and said, "Riding like this is fun, so this is fine, isn't it?" Scuderia had begun a slow, steady pace.

"No, it's _not_ fine," you pressed, taking hold of the reins as well, feeling uneasy as Scuderia slowly climbed uphill. "So selfish," you added with a mumble.

The Mafia boss only chuckled in response. "Hey," he said after a moment of silence. "Let's take the long way, okay?"

. . .

. .

.

* * *

...And the rest is left for the imagination. Not that I meant to insinuate anything.

For **Fukatomori** Sorry for the wait Dx

Sorry it's sooooo short! Actually, it's one of my shortest I suppose...but it seems I really am running out of ideas.


	39. Stare

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Yamamoto: Stare

* * *

It wasn't that you hated it. It was just awkward. And uncomfortable.

You knew he was just too slow to realize it, but you wished he wasn't so airheaded. And naïve, and innocent, and simple-minded.

For goodness' sake, what in the world could he be staring at? Even if there was something on your face, he wasn't the type of person to leave it there and just stare.

Was he watching for your reaction? But reaction to what? This just made you wary of his actions and incredibly self-conscious.

Anyone would've loved to have this kind of attention from the school's baseball star – to have all of his attention on you – but this was too much for your poor heart to handle.

You risked a glance at the boy across from you, and blushed when you saw him staring intently at your face despite fully expecting his gaze on you. You noticed how his eyes were transfixed slightly below your eye level. He seemed mesmerized by one particular feature on your face.

"Why are you staring?" you finally asked nervously, noting the way Yamamoto's eyes followed the movements of your lips, yet ignoring what came out of them. "Yamamoto?" you called anxiously.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. What were you saying?" A familiar smile found its way back to his face as he refocused on the project in front of him. He laughed in an embarrassed way upon remembering the project he was assigned in which you were partnered together.

You examined the face that refused to look up at you and softly said, "I was just wondering why you were staring."

He raised his eyes to meet yours, seemingly taken aback. You wondered if he really hadn't noticed at all and was truly surprised, or if he was shocked to have gotten caught staring.

The Rain Guardian seemed at a loss for words, unsure of how to explain the phenomenon of his actions. Lately, whenever he looks at your face he admits his eyes constantly wander down to your lips. He didn't understand why and he had tried to restrain himself from doing so, but it seems to remain beyond his control.

As you waited for his answer, again his eyes wandered to your mouth. He started hesitantly, "I think," he paused before softly continuing, "that I really want to kiss you." He was already leaning in, his face mere centimeters away when his lips finally brushed yours in an innocent kiss.

. . .

. .

* * *

Requested by **Kat**

The innocent Yamamoto strikes again! xD But seriously, I think if Yamamoto were to even think of kissing anyone, this is where it starts for the clueless guy. but hey, I could be wrong.

The way I wrote this was kinda awkward huh? Well please review anyway~ thank you, come again  
(I'm sorry the recent stories are so short Q^Q)


	40. Stomach Butterflies

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Note- Set in a classroom

* * *

Shoichi: Stomach Butterflies

* * *

"EHHH! What are you doing here, _(Name)_?" Shoichi yelped, suddenly ten feet away.

"What kind of greeting is that?" you replied irritably as you stepped away from his now empty desk.

"I-I-I'm sorry, it's just that...y-y-you scared me," the red head weakly explained, placing his hand over his stomach.

"Uhh, you don't look so well, Shoichi," you observed, noting the way his face darkened into deeper shades of red – not to mention he was sweating profusely. Anger now dissipated and replaced with sincere concern, you approached the boy with the intention to check his forehead.

"D-D-Don't! Don't touch me!" he yelled, causing you to retract your hand in surprise. After an awkward pause, Shoichi mumbled an embarrassed "sorry" then said, "I just don't want you to touch me because it feels weird." He slowly slid down to the floor, his arms over his aching stomach.

"…Do you still believe girls have cooties?" you accused. "That's not funny." You were seriously offended. You didn't have anything contagious!

His cherry red face darkened to a tomato red. He shook his head and said, "That's not it!"

"Then what is it?" you demanded, hands on hips and an angry pout on your lips. "Why won't you let me near you?" You were about to approach him once again but he held his hand up, signaling you to stop. You opted to sit down on the floor so you could be at eye level with the red head.

"You don't understand!" he said exasperatedly. "My stomach always feels funny whenever you're in the room. And whenever you touch me my stomach flips…or…or flutters. Like there are butterflies in my stomach!"

There was a short silence before you asked, "You have butterflies when you see me?" When he nodded, you bit your lip and your body convulsed with suppressed laughter. You wondered if he seriously has never heard of the 'butterflies in my stomach' expression before.

"W-What? Don't laugh!" Shoichi demanded helplessly, his face still an even shade of red.

"But you're so cute, Shoichi," you responded admiringly. You didn't know he was so honest with his feelings. His body froze in shock at being called cute but he backed into the wall behind him when you crawled over to sit next to him. "You know," you began, "having butterflies in your stomach means you're nervous. Like when you're about to speak or perform in front of a group of people, or maybe before a really important test. It's not really a bad thing."

"It-It sounds like a bad thing," Shoichi stated. "That means you're not confidant in yourself when you're about to do something, right?"

"Well aren't you a really nervous guy to begin with?" you teased playfully. "But you're right. It's like getting cold feet. You might end up running away or not moving at all."

"That's…definitely bad," Shoichi said with a trembling voice. "Almost sounds painful."

You laughed. "Shoichi, you better fix that problem or get used to your stomach butterflies! Otherwise you'll be in pain every time you see me," you said jokingly.

"Ah…it's okay. I kind of like this fluttering feeling."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

I was thinking since the characters have been back in the present for awhile and that it should be current, it should be set when they're in middle school right? That should include Shoichi in his middle school years so I tried a classroom setting. This was supposed to be set after or before school - or when no one is around.

For **dJhAmystery **

I'm really regretful that it took so long, even though I promised myself I wouldn't disrupt my pattern! And I was on a roll too! Boohoo im such a fail. I will makeup for it! I proooomise.

Ahh so much to do. Anyway I'll update later in the week (I hope), so look out for it!

I loooved reading all of the reviews~~~ thank you!


	41. Dangerous Pastime

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Fran: Dangerous Pastime

* * *

"IDIOT! Stop being so absent-minded!"

You could hear Squalo bellowing from the kitchen. Weren't they in the practice room downstairs? You hoped it wasn't Fran again. But then again, it probably was. Everyone seemed to be yelling at Fran lately. You wished Fran would stop getting his senpais angry (he usually did it on purpose).

When you finished your snack and left the kitchen you saw Fran sitting on the couch, lazily daydreaming ahead.

"What's wrong? Weren't you practicing with Squalo and Levi?" you asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"I was, but they suddenly got angry at me," Fran replied with a lazy shrug.

You knew he wasn't going to admit any part was his fault. "So why are you here?"

He looked back at you for the first time today. "Because…it's your fault that they threw me out. So I figured I should bother you the rest of the day."

Your mouth hung open, appalled by this brat's audacity to pin any sort of blame on you. "Excuse me?" you almost yelled. "How is anything _my_ fault?"

"…It just is," he answered coolly. That irritated you.

"FRAN," you threatened, demanding an answer. "How could you accuse me of getting you in trouble? I didn't do anything!"

"Wrong." You looked at his eyes, realizing how serious he was. He held your gaze for a moment before you looked away uncomfortably.

"What happened? How does it have anything to do with me?" you asked.

"I…can't concentrate during practice. My mind always wanders no matter where I'm at or what I'm doing. Thinking really is a dangerous pastime," Fran said in a depressed tone. "My senpais almost killed me." You really had no idea where this was going. His head suddenly snapped in your direction and he scrutinized as he wondered (mostly to himself) aloud, "Why do I think of you so often? I mean, you're ugly, weird, selfish, ugly, not very cute, and _ugly_."

"Hey! What are you talking about?" you said, gritting your teeth with anger.

"You occupy my mind too much. I think there may be something wrong with my brain…Am I sick?" Once again, Fran seemed to be talking to himself as he placed his hand over his forehead. He grasped the mask he always wore, shaking his head from side to side. "Is it the Frog mask? No, that's probably impossible, right?" Then he started nodding his head vigorously.

Was that supposed to make him better? "Uh, Fran?" you said, trying to get his attention.

"I don't get it!" he suddenly shouted. He looked to you and for the first time, you saw irritation etched in his features. "At the end of the day I get so irritated when I realize I waste the whole day thinking about you!"

"As if that's my fault!" you said with a tomato red face, unsure whether to be flattered or angry.

"You probably bewitched me, right?" Fran accused with a pointed finger. "I demand compensation for wasting my time so often! That, or you should receive punishment!"

"Fran, that doesn't really make sense," you said, trying to reason with the illusionist.

But he ignored you and declared, "From now on, I'm not letting you think of anything but me! That way you, too, will waste the day thinking about me." He had a serious look of accomplishment as if he just bestowed justice on the predicament.

You felt embarrassed hearing those words but you hesitantly questioned, "And how are you going to do that?"

"Ahh~ I have a plan," Fran said almost nonchalantly. Unexpectedly, he kissed your cheek before leaving the room. "Look forward to it," he added with a hint of mischief.

You took a moment to understand the last few seconds of your conversation, and then dread filled your body. "I think it just became dangerous," you said to yourself, fearing whatever scheme Fran had plotted.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **The Timely Rabbit** (S.K.Y.E)

Okay hope you enjoyed~ sorry its a litttle late though... I'm sorry! The inconsistency frustrates me too ;^;

And I'm grateful to the readers! and the new ones of course~ thanks for reading!


	42. A Promise to Return

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Giotto: The Promise to Return

* * *

"You'll be back soon, right?" you anxiously asked.

Giotto smiled. "Don't worry. Didn't I already say I would?" You nodded but even then you still felt uneasy. Whenever Giotto and his Guardians traveled to distant places, you felt unsure whether they would come back safely or not. "It'll be fine," he added reassuringly.

"Last time, they told me you almost died," you said bitterly.

Giotto chuckled weakly and replied, "I was just careless, nothing more."

"You might not return," you stated with a solemn expression.

"You shouldn't be so negative," Giotto commented. "But, if it puts you at ease, I promise to return to you."

You contemplated this for a moment, and then said, "How can I be sure you will keep that promise?"

Giotto answered with a smile, saying, "I'll make you a deal – an exchange, actually. I'll give you my heart. I'll come back to you, and when I do, perhaps you would give me yours in return?"

You gaped at the words that left the blonde's mouth. "W-W-What-What are you – I m-m-mean I don't understand," you stammered, face burning in embarrassment.

"No matter what happens, you will have my heart," Giotto explained with his hand over the left side of his chest. He smirked then and took your hand in his, "And if I still live, I'll come back to claim yours. Do we have a deal?"

You began to stutter hesitantly, but finally answered with a meek, "Yes."

"All right," Giotto said with a confidant smile. "With that, I promise to return to you." He held your hand up and you noticed his pinky hooked around your own, having sealed the deal with a pinky promise.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

I apologize for the tardiness, but I was so dissatisfied with this chapter I thought it wasn't good enough to put up - but in the end, it came out like this and shorter than ever.

Well, I hope you're not disappointed, anonymous reader who requested Giotto...

Criticism is welcome, and I'd appreciate it if you notify me of any errors you see since I didn't really edit much.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed~ I really appreciate them!


	43. Prohibited

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Hibari: Prohibited

* * *

You ran across the room to Kyoko and Hana who were waiting for you outside the classroom. The bell had rung and like any normal day, you animatedly chatted about the day's events and laughed at all the jokes.

"Should we stop by at the new store that opened up beside the mall?" Kyoko suggested. "Haru-chan told me it was fun."

"Ah, I heard about the stuff they sell and it isn't really my style. But I'll check it out anyway," Hana said while flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"That's great! Maybe we could invite Tsuna-kun and the others as well. Are we all going, then?" Kyoko enthusiastically asked while looking at you.

"Hmm, I don't know. Should I?" you wondered aloud, unsure. "I think –"

"You're not allowed to go," a male voice interrupted. You jumped at how close the petulant voice was behind you. You looked over your shoulder to see Hibari's blank stare boring into you and your friends.

"Uh, what do you mean?" you asked. You wondered why he ordered you not to go although you already knew he was especially strict with you. You noticed how the hall was quickly evacuated with Hibari's sudden presence.

Hibari's eyes flashed to Hana and Kyoko who shivered when they met his icy stare. "I do not permit idling. Leave or I'll bite you to death," Hibari warned, scaring your friends off.

You watched your friends scurry off and you glared at the prefect before you. "Why did you do that? I should be able to decide what I want to do," you said with a defiant tone. It was rare when you ever disagreed with Hibari's actions but you didn't approve of his attempt to control your life.

"Not unless I say so," Hibari retorted. "You are not allowed to mingle with that Herbivore and his lackeys."

"Herbivore? Who are you talking about?" you asked incredulously. Then you remembered who Kyoko had mentioned. "You mean _Tsuna_?" A small laugh escaped your lips. "He's far from a herbivore don't you think? Besides he's my friend – how could I –"

This time you were cut off by a hand covering your mouth. Hibari's movements were so fast you didn't even have time to flinch. For a moment you stood completely shocked.

"You are not allowed to laugh. Or smile. Do you understand?" Hibari ordered while removing his hand from your mouth. "It's annoying."

"Hey...wait a second!" you shouted when you finally registered that Hibari had escaped and was already down the hall. You hurried to catch up with him but collided with a person who suddenly began to race across the hallway. You both ungracefully hit the ground and landed with a thud. "Ouch! Hibari...uh, are you okay?" you hastily asked in a state of confusion.

"Ah. I-I-I'm fine. I wasn't really looking where I was going and – eek!" You recognized the poor victim as your classmate and watched in surprise and cold anticipation as Hibari lifted him to his feet.

You watched wordlessly, mouth agape as Hibari knocked your classmate out. The sound of a body impacting the ground echoed in your ears as you processed the unconscious boy sprawled on the ground.

"You," Hibari said in a menacing tone. His stare was directed at you as he intimidatingly approached closer. "Don't be so clumsy, understand? And you are not allowed to associate yourself with him again," Hibari demanded, grasping your upper arm and roughly pulling you to your feet.

"But, what did he do?" you asked, unable to accept his orders without a liable reason. You suddenly felt angry with all his arbitrary demands. "And why do you keep telling me all these things I'm not allowed to do? I can't do this and I can't do that!" you said with an exasperated huff. You met his empty stare and continued, "What exactly am I _allowed_ to do?"

Hibari shoved you against the wall and placed his infamous tonfa threateningly below your chin. "You are not allowed to show anyone but me your smile. No one else is allowed to hear your laugh," he began with a controlled tone. You saw his hand tightly clench the handle of the tonfa. "Only show me those things. Always stay where I can see you and don't get close to other guys. Don't look at others and only look at me."

Your brows were furrowed as your mind desperately tried to register his words. Hibari only paused for a moment before stepping away from you. "You're so hard to understand," you said with a barely audible voice.

"It doesn't matter. I knew that if I said it like that you wouldn't obey my orders because it would restrict you too much. So, I decided to say it in a way so that you would obey every command I gave you," Hibari explained with a click of his tongue. The look on his face showed that his plan had backfired.

"It's the same thing though; no matter how you tried to convey it," you said while contemplating his intentions. You suddenly became aware of how warm your face felt. "You didn't mean for me to hate you, did you?"

Hibari's hard stare pierced through your courage and you found yourself backed into a wall once again. "So? Do you hate me?" he asked, daring you for an answer. Your eyes deviated to the ground nervously. "I told you to only look at me, remember?" Hibari said while forcefully bringing your head back up. When your eyes met, he smirked with satisfaction and pressed for your answer, "Well?"

"It's the opposite," you replied with much hesitation.

"Good. Then do as I tell you."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **khrhibariluv**

Sorry its so late! buts its a little longer, yay~

So pretty straightforward I think and the ending was (hastily) done on a whim. Well, tell me what you think~


	44. Reckless Behavior

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Giotto: Reckless Behavior

* * *

You moved through the crowd, carrying the tray full of drinks. "Would you like a drink?" you asked with a forced smile. You weren't even sure who to address at this point since the partygoers just went and left as they pleased.

"Are you having fun?" Giotto asked with an amused expression, eyeing your attire. He had teased you earlier about the servant's outfit you were required to wear when helping the staff.

"I am, actually. This is better than talking boring nonsense with high class noblemen," you replied in a hushed whisper. You turned away from his gaze but he followed you as you maneuvered through the mass of people.

He let out a slight laugh and stated, "As guests attending a high societal gathering, we have to maintain a proper image. Maybe you should too?"

"These people don't know me. It's too hard to fit in," you explained while taking an empty glass and placing it on the tray. Though Giotto and his famiglia (including you) were invited to the party of a powerful earl of the neighboring town, you decided to help out the servants who were short on staff for the last minute party. "Anyway shouldn't you be 'maintaining your image'? Your Guardians aren't supposed to be doing the talking for you."

"I suppose you're right," Giotto said with an unwilling sigh and swiftly disappeared from your side.

Forcing yourself through the sea of nobles, it wasn't long until you came across a pair of young gentlemen, obnoxious and maybe a little drunk. When the young nobleman noticed you he grasped your arm to hold you firmly in place and said, "Hey, you're pretty cute. What are you doing here dressed like that?"

You frowned at his behavior, angry that he had almost caused you to drop the tray of beverages. "Excuse me, could you please release my arm?"

"I just want to talk," he began defensively. "You can spare a couple of minutes, can't you?"

This guy obviously didn't know how much the other servants were working their butts off for these oblivious noblemen. You started to reply, "Actually I –"

"Get your filthy hands off of her," Giotto threatened in a tone you rarely heard from the blonde. He had forced the man to release his grasp on you and was now glaring menacingly.

"Isn't that…Giotto?" one the young men gasped in shock. Before they could speak another word, Giotto beat them to it.

The Mafioso's attitude seemed to do a 180 when a kind smile played on his lips. "I apologize, but I'll be borrowing her for a moment," Giotto said with a somewhat scary smile. He grasped your arm before you were quickly tugged through the crowd and led to an unoccupied corner of the room. It was a miracle how the drinks had not yet fallen.

You looked up at Giotto and gratefully said, "I wasn't sure if I would've been able to prevent making a scene with those two. Thank you."

"It's because you're wearing that outfit that you're attracting that kind of attention," Giotto said in a restrained voice.

You blinked owlishly, wondering why Giotto seemed so angry. "Are you angry?" you asked worriedly. His behavior seemed strange, especially since nothing serious had occurred and the incident was long over.

"Of course I am," was Giotto's blunt reply. "I leave you alone for only a moment and you attract unwanted attention."

"That wasn't my fault," you began defensively.

Giotto shook his head. "Don't wear that again. Actually, could you change back now?"

"What? I'm still working!" you replied incredulously. "If you dislike it so much, let me finish working, okay?" you said while turning back to enter the mass of people once again.

"…Fine," Giotto said in a reluctant tone. You were confused with his odd actions but you smiled when he began to follow you through the crowd. You really had no idea what he was doing but he didn't seem to want to leave you as he trailed behind like a puppy. It wasn't until you hadn't been approached for a drink for the past half hour that you realized something was wrong. No matter where you went, the crowd parted like the Red Sea and hardly got within three feet of you. It took you awhile but you finally noticed the menacing aura Giotto seemed to emanate intimidatingly with every man who approached you.

"Uh, Giotto, aren't you being a little, well, careless? What happened to maintaining an image?" you questioned when his unapproachable aura restrained you from even making eye contact with other people. "You're acting rather recklessly right now."

Giotto seemed to flash another poor soul a fierce glare before replying. "If I leave you alone, you'll get hit on again."

You were grateful he was so protective but he was honestly going too far. "But I can't do my job if you're like this!"

"Then maybe you should just quit. Hurry up and change."

You sighed, defeated. You weren't making any progress anyway. "All right," you said with slight resentment. Giotto then took the tray of beverages from your hands and pushed it forcefully into another man's hands. He then wrapped a protective arm around you and began making his way towards the double doors and away from the party. "Wha – hey, what are you doing?" you almost screamed.

"I'm just making sure you change out of those clothes," Giotto said simply.

"That's inappropriate!" you yelled, halting your own footsteps. You then blushed in embarrassment when the whole room had turned to look at you and Giotto. Giotto sighed, his hand covering his forehead in weary.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Fujisaki Nadeshiko**

Sorry for the lateness! Yeah, not really worth the wait. Seems a little familiar doesn't it?

Thanks for reviewing!

*Ok, I had promised myself not to ask any of the readers anything again, but I think I should once more. I just want to ask:** Would you readers prefer I use a name insert such as: _(Name)_ or a real/your name when the character(s) address "you"?**

Please leave suggestions and comments; review or message me. I really would like to know what you readers prefer just for the sake of the readers' enjoyment.

Please and thank you~


	45. Fear

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Hibari: Fear

* * *

Fear is for the weak.

This was what Hibari Kyoya lived by. This was an essential part of how he judged a person's strength. Naturally all who feared him were weak while he was the far superior. He prided himself in being a carnivorous fighter positioned at the very top of the food chain.

He hated being weak.

He cursed his carelessness and all prior events that allowed others to see the very few pathetic moments in his life. He needn't remind himself of such disgraceful failures.

He feared nothing. The emotion was unknown to him – it was unnecessary and useless. The emotion itself was weakness, and he knew he was neither weak nor herbivorous.

Yet, as he whisked through the black of night as nothing more than a swift shadow, he was plagued by an alien emotion. It was increasing little by little as seconds turned to minutes. As he willed himself to hasten his strides under the night sky, he knew he had to be where you were. Wherever you were, he had to be by your side immediately.

His jaw clenched as he recalled the enemy that had threatened _your life_. He felt irritation, anger, and…something else he couldn't quite identify. He felt somewhat panicked…

He never experienced this unfamiliar emotion – it made his blood run cold and his chest tighten. His brows knitted in realization; yet his pride prevented him from accepting the fact that what he was experiencing, was_ fear_.

Never had the great Hibari Kyoya felt fear.

But in the farthest recesses of his mind, he knew it all along – that for the first time, Hibari Kyoya was scared. He felt it clawing inside him, the cruel clutches of fear. Fear for your life. Fear for your safety. Fear that he wouldn't make it in time. Fear that he wouldn't see your eyes full of life and hear your voice again. The thought strengthened his resolve. He needed to know you were unharmed and out of danger.

He needed to know you were alive.

The door flew open as he entered your home. His heavy breaths were all he heard as he scanned the vicinity. The lights were off. Empty. Where were you? He turned to run towards his own house. He reached his own house and immediately searched every room. _Why?_ Why couldn't he find you? His own thoughts were incoherent as he blindly ran off to the street. The alien emotion shook his entire body.

He hated this emotion. Never had he felt as weak as he did now.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **scyterfrnz**

I just wanted to try a different style. And well, it's up to you whether you live or not in the end...Sorry it was so late! ...and short.

Thanks for reviewing and for sharing your ideas. The question is still out there, so feel free to comment about it whenever. I pretty much concluded to stick with how I've been writing before, unless you, the readers, desire otherwise for requested stories.

Also, I just want to say that yes, of course you can request! The only problem is that it will take awhile (and I'm talking _months_, here) before I'll get to your story. Even now, these oneshots were requested last year and I'm trying my best to catch up! :/ Thanks for being so patient!


	46. Melody of the Night

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

TYL! Xanxus: Melody of the Night

* * *

You were hopelessly lost. You had just finished the job assigned by the Ninth, but a last second explosion propelled you back miles from your original location. And an hour or so later, you had woken up from your unconscious state to find your aching body covered in gashes.

You then managed to ease yourself into a comfortable position and leaned against a tree, hardly in a state to move any more than you already have while your senses quickly dulled. You could feel your mind plummeting back into darkness...

.

.

.

You felt a comfortable, soft material below you. It was warm and it felt so much like your bed. You then heard a distant melody and you opened your eyes to find the source of the soothing music. You saw an unfamiliar room and took note of the unmistakable foreign bed you were laying upon. You sat up and turned towards the window where the sun shone through, its rays flickering across the walls from behind the trees.

At the window sat a man half-turned away from you as he strummed the instrument in his hand. He skillfully switched melodic chords in rhythmic timing and strummed quiet melodies on the acoustic guitar. You immediately forgot about your new environment and focused on the man playing the guitar as he played one song after the other. You were fascinated with his talent as he played familiar songs, songs you've never heard before, and songs that made your eyes swell with tears.

The man was completely immersed in his instrument, utterly without a care that he had an audience. You weren't sure he was even aware you had awoken ages ago.

You gaped when you realized you had been silently listening for hours now, with the sun already beginning to set.

You angled your head slightly and squinted to try to identify the man beside the window. His features were cloaked in shadows as the light bordered his face. He had quite an attractive profile and you wondered why you hadn't notice before. The man was sitting in a wingback chair, laidback and somewhat unrefined as he continued to shift chords contently.

It was then that the room was completely immersed in darkness, the sun having retired for the day, and you could clearly see the man's face as he played by starlight.

You inhaled sharply, realizing you had been admiring the most dangerous man in Varia. The small sound that had escaped your mouth caused Xanxus to pause and turn to face you, his countenance hard and stern.

"Xanxus," you breathed with a hint of curiosity. You initially would've thought you'd be scared out of your wits right now, but after witnessing his uncharacteristic hobby, it was somewhat difficult to think that way. After a short moment of deafening silence you commented, "You play beautifully."

He glared at you but said nothing. You were about to praise him again but your stomach grumbled loudly. You yelped in embarrassment and covered your stomach as if it could muffle the noises of insistent hunger. You probably haven't eaten in almost a day.

"There's food at the table beside the door," came his husky voice.

You glanced at the only door in the room and sure enough, there was a full meal on top of the table.

"Thank you," you murmured as you slid out of the bed. The floor beneath you creaked as you limped over to sit at the table. You almost screamed when you saw the glowing eyes of Xanxus' companion, a white liger, as it lounged at the foot of the bed. The liger's eyes never left you as you began eating, making you sweat in nervousness. The ferocious animal made you feel like he was watching his prey become plump and fat before pouncing for the kill.

Xanxus paid no heed to your anxiety as he resumed strumming the instrument. You calmed somewhat as you listened to the classical melodies, realizing he favored classical music. You reached for the last slice of bread and stiffened when the liger's eyes followed your hand's movement.

A thought struck you and you took the bread and offered it to the feline who was now licking its lips. In one bite it was gone and it purred as it gazed up at you. "You must be hungry, huh," you said, hesitatingly reaching out to pet its white mane. You stroked the top of his head and his eyes closed peacefully and his ears twitched in satisfaction. You glanced at Xanxus and saw that his eyes were on you. Licking your lips, you asked, "What's his name?"

"Bester," he grumbled hoarsely and directed his attention out the window again.

With a smile, you then offered the feline one of the steaks on the plate and he gobbled it up happily. You then turned to finish up the smoked salmon at the side, figuring the other steak was for Xanxus.

You finished your food quickly, anxiously turning back to face the intimidating Varia leader as he began a fast paced song. You approached his laidback form, noting the way his ankle rested on his knee in a comfortable manner while he rested the instrument against his body. He glanced at you briefly as you sat across from him cross-legged on the floor. You watched his fingers strum and pluck at the strings, impressed with his skill.

You leaned in slightly as the notes began to speed up, and once the song ended, you smiled and exclaimed, "That's amazing! Really impressive!"

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you," Xanxus glowered, his eyes almost glowing amidst the darkness.

You let out a soft, short laugh and you quickly covered your mouth. It was difficult to take his threat seriously when he was holding a guitar in his hand. You were still getting used to the image and his hobby still hadn't sunk in yet. You quickly put on a reassuring smile as you stated, "I promise not to tell."

"Hmph." He began to play another gentler, peaceful melody.

"By the way," you began, deciding to voice the question that's been nagging you for a while, "how did you find me?"

"You were just outside the castle grounds," Xanxus explained. He cast a quick glance at you and continued, "I could see and hear the last explosion from here, which is what knocked you out, right?" You nodded, hanging your head shamefully. "The Ninth rang in to tell me to house you until he could retrieve you himself."

You straightened up, relieved that the Ninth called to check up on you. "When will that be?" you asked curiously.

"Day after tomorrow," Xanxus replied with a snort.

You blinked owlishly as you processed the information. A day with Xanxus. For some reason, this thought brought a wide smile to your face. It really shouldn't take that long to travel here but the Ninth most likely had some other matters to attend to, and you were glad you would be able to listen to Xanxus play for another day.

With your insistence (begging and whining), Xanxus grumpily played the guitar well into the night until you fell asleep, comforting you in your unfamiliar environment.

.

.

Unfortunately however, the next morning Xanxus was nowhere to be found until late in the afternoon. He had locked the door from the outside and left enough food on the table for your meals. You cursed him inwardly but at least he cared enough to provide for your basic needs. You were also grateful that Bester was around for company, and you found he made a wonderful pillow as you rested your injured body.

"What are you doing to my box animal?" Xanxus demanded but his tone held no malice. You blinked sleepily at him and sat up.

"Um…Ah! Where have you been?!" you exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger. The Varia boss only raised a brow at your attempt to pin blame on him. Your mouth curved down into a small pout when he replied with a _'shut up'_. "Are you going to play?" you asked eagerly, getting to the point.

He only grunted as he picked up the acoustic instrument and sat in his favorite wingback chair. He looked at you and motioned you over which you enthusiastically complied to. He began strumming another classical piece as you crossed your legs a few feet away from him and looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set and it cast an orange glow across the room. You snuck a peek at Xanxus and he looked positively harmless under the soft rays of the sun as he played the enchanting melody.

The room slowly became encased in darkness and once your eyes adjusted to the night you looked over to the Varia head and met his glowing eyes. You were taken aback because for the first time during your stay there, Xanxus seemed _dangerous_. And you were scared. You continued to stare for a long time before he closed his eyes and continued strumming melodic chords.

"Has the Ninth called?" you asked, forcing the thought of a dangerous Xanxus out of your mind. You peered through the darkness to look at his face, hoping he would look at you again.

"No." He still didn't reveal his eyes.

An angry pout formed on your lips and you inched closer, racking your brain for something to say so that he would look at you. After a moment you blurted out, "Hey, will you miss me when I leave?"

At this his eyelids opened and he met your gaze, which left you cheering inwardly. You smiled and, not wanting to anger him, quickly added, "You know, I would love to fall asleep to your guitar every night."

A mocking smirk graced his lips. "Go to bed, scum."

"But it's still early," you murmured. "And I've been sleeping the whole day."

He made a curious face. "Are you defying me?"

"No," you replied hastily before jumping onto the bed. "Ok, I'm in bed," you said, smiling from ear to ear as you faced Xanxus. He only scowled as he began another song.

Once again, it was late into the night when you finally fell asleep to the melody of a guitar.

.

.

.

"Now? I'm leaving right _now_?" you asked incredulously, throwing the bed covers off and scrambling out of the bed.

"Goodness, I'm sorry you had to put up with this behavior for two nights," the Ninth said to Xanxus. The Varia head only grunted in reply.

"I—no one told me the time of your arrival, Ninth!" you said defensively as your face flushed in embarrassment. You tried to compose yourself as you put on the jacket you had set aside.

The Ninth laughed. "Well, it's quite alright. Come, child. We will take our leave then, Xanxus. Thank you for your cooperation." He received another moody grunt.

You bade Xanxus farewell and said, "It was fun staying here."

Xanxus shook his head with a sigh. "See ya, kid." You smiled and waved as the Ninth ushered you out.

"So, what did you think of him?" the Ninth asked as you got into the helicopter which was there to pick you up.

"Xanxus? Well…unexpected I suppose, especially with what happened with Tsuna," you answered. "But why did it take you so long to get me?"

"Curiousity…just to see what would happen," he said, raising a few questions in your head but you let him continue, "He's not one to just take in anyone. But he took you in before I even asked him to go and look for you. When I called he already had you in his bed and was taking care of you. Then I asked him to protect you there until I arrived. The Varia mansion is a dangerous place for an injured person, you know. The people are aggressive and quite volatile."

Well, that answered a lot, but you found Xanxus to be quite a mystery with this newfound information. You made a worried face when the Ninth continued while laughing.

"He had said you were probably in more danger with him than anywhere in the building but he agreed anyway. Strange fellow, isn't he? I just don't know what he's thinking most times."

You then remembered the short moment just the night before when his eyes glowed as he looked at you. That was the most scared you've ever been of him. He looked terrifying, and just plain dangerous.

"Anyway," the Ninth said with a sigh, "I suspected he had an interest in you because he took care of you without a complaint. I could be wrong though."

"I hope you're not," you whispered to yourself just as the helicopter took off.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **SilverStarlightXD** I know Xanxus seems quite out of character, but if I remember correctly, I was requested not to use cursing or any sort of vulgar language so I opted just to mellow out his character in general. His hobby is interesting though right? XD

Long, huh? Hope you enjoyed it. This was retyped many times until it was written into a completely different story from the original! LOL It got so long, I felt readers would get bored. If it were me reading, I know I would. It did become like 40 words shorter than the original, though haha. Well, I hoped the length of this would make up for my year long absence.

Enough of that. While I did not post anything, for the oneshots I still wrote what came to mind, so I will update faster and speed through the requests starting now.

Also, please kindly point out any mistakes, errors, or leave comments of my writing so that I may edit later. Thank you.

**Important: By request, I will no longer specify gender in my reader inserts. I was originally asked to write for the male population but doing it this way is much easier for both male and femal. I used to identify the reader as female, using "her", "woman", etc., but now there will be no gender specifics UNLESS I am requested directly to do so. **


	47. Fortune-Telling and Predictions

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Warning: A bit of cursing courtesy of our bomb-astic Storm Guardian.

* * *

Gokudera: Fortune-Telling and Predictions

* * *

"I will…what?" you said incredulously. You reread the paragraph under your horoscope that predicted you would end up in an embarrassing situation. It then advised you to put up with it and brush it off. "How embarrassing would it be?" you wondered, staring at the horoscope page in the magazine. You couldn't handle embarrassing situations very well, and you couldn't just _'brush it off'_ because unfortunately, such incidents haunted you forever.

"No way! I hope it's not true!" you pleaded. You weren't really one to believe in stuff like horoscopes and fortune-telling; you just read it for fun. But like Tsuna, you just wanted to avoid embarrassing situations as much as possible. You tried to calm yourself down as you turned the next page which contained even more fortune-telling hocus pocus! This magazine used to have only horoscopes in it, but now…

"Love compatibility?" This was definitely nonsense. You believed anyone could fall in love with whomever they wanted to, regardless of age or race, and definitely regardless of their sign or blood type. But curiosity got the best of you as your eyes skimmed down the page.

"Learn ways to get close…" you read aloud, blushing just imagining the possibilities. What would it say for you and your boyfriend, Gokudera? Hardly in your right mind you found yourself answering the questions. "Birthday…is September 9. Um, it should be blood type B…hmm, and then mine." You quickly sorted out the questions. You searched for the result and gaped disbelievingly.

_You have a difficult relationship. You are not compatible._

You shook your head. You knew this wasn't very credible. And if you believed this, then you would also get caught up in the embarrassing situation that will apparently happen today, and you definitely didn't want that. But were you not compatible with him, after all?

"This sucks! I want to see Gokudera!" you yelled as you tossed the magazine to the side and bolted out the door. Just as you were about to step out of the house you saw Gokudera standing at your doorstep with a confused, WTF expression on his face. You were surprised but you hugged him tightly, relieved he was so close.

"What happened, _(Name)_?" he asked with a hint of concern. He assumed whatever was troubling you wasn't as serious as a broken leg but he was still worried. He had planned to stop by your house for a short visit and with the current situation he supposed he had really great timing.

You looked him in the eye, your voice full of disappointment and dismay. "Gokudera! It's horrible! We're not compatible at all! I was reading this magazine and it – "

"What the hell would a magazine know about our relationship? Don't read that shit," Gokudera said while shaking his head in disapproval.

"You don't understand!" You quickly went to retrieve the magazine while Gokudera grudgingly followed. He watched you flip through the pages then snatched the magazine from your hands once you landed on the desired page.

"Horoscopes? The research and theories they use to make these are flawed!" Hayato explained this while skimming the horoscopes. "I mean, you can't possibly believe you'll be in danger tomorrow, right?"

"WHAT!" you screamed, grabbing the magazine from the silver-haired male and read, "…be careful of your surroundings…"

"It might as well say you're in danger," Gokudera stated, rolling his eyes.

"Am I going to _die_?! Gokudera, help me!" you cried, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric of his shirt.

"Calm down, dammit!" Gokudera yelled over your outburst. Sure, he knew your life was becoming endangered the more you spent time with the Vongola Family, but he was almost certain no one in the mafia world knew of your existence. Gokudera took a deep breath and tugged your hands away from his shirt. He held your hands reassuringly. "Listen to me. Don't believe in crap like that. And whatever crap it says about danger or trouble, or whatever doesn't matter 'cause I'll be there to protect you. So there's no way it's gonna happen." With that he placed a comforting kiss upon your forehead.

Slowly your doubt dissipated and a gleeful smile spread across your face. "Okay." Gokudera took the magazine from your hands and ripped out the entire fortunetelling section.

"Geez, read something else next time – something more brain stimulating." His tone was reprimanding but he smiled teasingly before crumpling the paper in his hand.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **MuShroOm 3**

There ya go. I know it's kinda umm unconventional? idk The idea is not entirely mine, kinda borrowed it from something else...Also, I have no idea how love compatibility works, never done it before-just made it up.

Sorry to any of you who do use horoscopes. I wasn't trying to discourage its use, but relying on it too much is bad ;)

Well leave comments, (constructive) criticism, anything ya want. Next will be Giotto sometime during the weekend.


	48. A Promise Unforgotten

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Note: A part 2/sequel to chapter 42 (Giotto): A Promise to Return

Warning: If you thought Ch. 42 was too cheesy/corny/fluffy you might want to disregard this whole chapter for it contains an excessive amount of cheesiness and fluff. If you don't mind it, then carry on. Otherwise it would do you good to just turn away, lol. But seriously.

* * *

Giotto: A Promise Unforgotten

* * *

With a furrowed brow, you stared at the white rose lying amiss upon your bed. Tilting your head slightly, you picked up the thorny flora with a delicate grip.

Your body stiffened instinctively when you felt arms circle your waist from behind and a slight weight upon your shoulder. The rose dropped from your hands as you were pulled into a protective back hug.

"It feels nice to hold my heart again." A toothy smile displayed on your lips upon hearing the cheesy comment. "I believe we had a prior engagement," Giotto whispered, his voice low yet gentle as he held you closer.

You feigned innocence and quietly asked, "And what was that?" You heard a disapproving grunt.

"I just came back from a trip. Why must you bully me so? I honestly feel I deserve a reward...and that should be your heart."

"My heart?" you murmured with a smile, turning to face him. His arms loosened but he didn't release his hold on you. "It has always belonged to you."

"What?" he asked incredulously. His confused expression brought a frown to his attractive face.

"My heart has been yours since the beginning," you explained, facing him fully. "Long before our promise."

"Really," Giotto muttered with a sigh as a smile slowly pulled at his lips. "That is…a relief."

"Why is it a relief?" you asked curiously.

He smiled deviously. You stared wide-eyed as a shiver bolted down your spine. "Because I don't have to use force." He smiled teasingly at your shocked expression. "Ah, I was jesting. But as someone who is self-sacrificing most of the time, there are certain things I want and _must_ have. So you can imagine my persistence in the things I pursue."

"Look who's the bully now," you said with a meek voice.

He laughed. "I apologize for intimidating you." Ah, you really did love this man. He had a talent with making your heart flutter and whatnot.

You shook your head. "It doesn't matter; I chose you, didn't I? I trust you'll take care of my heart," you said lovingly. "Be careful with it. And Giotto, that means you can't die. Not even an injury, understand?"

"I understand," he said with a small chuckle. "You _are_ my heart. I wouldn't want you injured either, or else I might die."

You smiled at the exaggeration. "Don't leave me again. I don't think I can be away from my heart for even a moment."

"Same goes to you."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

Yeah, that's it. For **frustrated fireworks**

Let me know if you got any questions, you know if anything confused you. I'll update again within the week. And thanks for the comments and such. They're pleasant to read.

Jesting: to jest; to joke, to play around, tease


	49. Stutter

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Enma: Stutter

* * *

"Enma, do you want me to help you with the homework?" you offered politely.

The redhead flinched, startled by the sudden interaction. He turned to face you with his head lowered, and mumbled a reply.

"Um, could you repeat that?" you asked hesitantly. You tried to get a glimpse of the expression on his face.

His chin lifted slightly but his lowered gaze did not meet yours. You saw his cheeks flush a red that rivaled his hair and eyes. In a meek voice, he stammered, "Er, w-well…t-t-that's not," he swallowed nervously, "not necessary…"

You smiled. "I see. You don't usually do the homework, so I thought maybe you were too busy to do it," you explained, thinking of Tsuna who partly lacked in his academics because of private mafia affairs.

"It's…it's fine! I-I-I gotta go now!" With that, the redhead scampered out the classroom.

"Enma doesn't seem to like me," you mumbled as you got ready to leave.

"What happened, _(Name)_?" Yamamoto asked. You met his curious expression and shrugged.

"I know that Enma is extremely shy," you started to explain, "But it feels like he avoids me."

Yamamoto shrugged. "He doesn't really interact with anyone in class. And he probably has a lot going on, y'know?" the baseball star suggested, keeping the fact that Enma was a mafia boss a secret. You assumed Enma was affiliated with the mafia, but you had no idea that he was the _boss_ of a whole family.

"Yeah," you solemnly replied while nodding in agreement. You gave a halfhearted wave of goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow…"

Upon stepping off school grounds you heard rustling in the tree which was among the few planted at the entrance of the school gate. You were beneath its cover of leaves and branches, and just when you were about to look up, a sudden weight landed on you.

"OW!" you (both) cried out. You felt the heavy weight scramble away.

"I'm s-s-s-sorry! UWAH! _(Name)_, I'm really sorry!" You sat up and saw Enma looking at you with a horrified expression. He edged closer to you in case you needed assistance but kept a safe distance, not wanting to be any closer than he needed to be. "Are you o-o-okay? Did…did you g-get hurt?"

"…I'm fine," you replied while raising a hand to massage your neck. "Why were you up there?" you asked, glancing at the tree he fell out of.

"Well, um, the-there were these bullies a-a-and um, um, they asked for money. T-Then they threw me up there – "

You cut him off and lightly scolded, "Enma, stop stuttering! You should speak clearly! Those bullies probably pick on you because you stutter so much…even though you look cool…"

"E-Eh? …Ah. Um," Enma then started to fidget as he glanced at you and softly asked, "W-What do you mean I look 'cool'?"

"Oh…I meant, um, good-looking," you replied, cheeks heating in embarrassment. His face immediately turned red as he looked down to desperately hide the blush. Your cheeks flushed a deeper red in turn, feeling mortified you just put yourself in this awkward situation. You quickly dug through your bag for some Band-Aids for the multiple scratches on Enma's skin and offered it to the redhead. "Feel better! See you later!" He looked startled but you shoved the bandages into his hands and ran off to your house.

The next day Enma didn't come to school.

For days, he and the peculiar people you often saw him walking with did not appear at school. Coincidentally, Tsuna and his friends were not around either. You wondered if you would see Enma again and felt ashamed your last conversation with him ended the way it did.

It was a little over a week later when you felt an enormous quake rock the school building. Waves of chatter filled the classroom while you opened the window to see what was going on. It almost seemed like the shake was caused by some kind of explosion.

"_(Name)_, get away from the windows!" the teacher ordered, utterly bewildered that you stuck half of your body out the second floor window during the supposed earthquake. You were about to comply when another shake rumbled, greater than the first. The shakes were definitely caused by explosions – and they were nearby. Unfortunately, you lost your footing and…

"WAH!" you screamed as you fell out the window, completely losing balance as the building quivered violently. You shrieked the whole way down, petrified of splatting head first into the earth. Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of your lungs for a brief moment as your body collided with another from an unknown direction. You were suddenly right side up as strong arms wrapped around you, secure and comforting. The sudden change in momentum had your hair flying and body uncomfortably angled for the briefest seconds.

With your slow reaction time it took you awhile to register that you had already stopped moving and were in the arms of your protector who held you protectively against him. Your savior knelt with you leaning on him for support. You looked at your savior and you gaped.

"E-E-En-Enma?! Is that really you? Why are you – W-What are you doing here?!" you questioned, a barrage of questions swirling through your head. He looked so different! Even the look in his eyes was unusual. You looked at the peculiar flame adorning his forehead. It was like Tsuna's, but different—it was kind of T-shaped. "Wha-What's going on? Where – How – W-Were you flying?" You looked at the flame again. "Wha-What's – What were you – "

"_(Name)_," Enma said, silencing you. His voice was clear and his tone was sharp. His strong, unwavering gaze then flickered with amusement as a playful smile played on his lips. "You're stuttering, _(Name)_."

His comment brought tingly warmth to your cheeks as you stared back, utterly stunned. "But you…surprised me and I haven't seen you in days…" you stated in a quieter, more controlled voice as you tried to mask your astonishment.

"I know," he said understandingly. He then placed a small, tiny kiss on your forehead. "It's cute…your stutter." He had never seen you show great amounts of shyness in front of him so he particularly liked the reversed roles. "You should go. It's dangerous outside, so stay indoors."

"Okay," you breathlessly replied, though you were concerned with what was going on. You wondered if there was some kind of crazy mafia training or a horrific life-or-death battle taking place.

He stood up and gave you one last glance. "I got to go. See you."

You nodded and watched him fly off towards the explosions you had been blindly ignoring since he had caught you. '_Wow_,' you thought, still in disbelief of what had just transpired. The way he had looked at you unwaveringly was so sinfully attractive you had actually lost the ability to speak.

Because he was absolutely breathtaking.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Woopa **

Woohoo, first Enma story. I think he's a goodlooking guy. I mean, red hair? who doesn't dig that? Anyway, I think that this could be during whenever you want like during or after the Shimon arc, or maybe the Arcobaleno arc, or completely made up.

Right so I would like to address a small, or big (depending how you look at it), concern of the lack of appearance of our main protagonist, TSUNA. I know he hasn't come up, but that's just because he wasn't requested in the much earlier requests I have received. Trust me though, in a few more he will come up again. Do not fret, he has received love! and a couple more in the past week. woohooo Tsuna.  
So main point: Request him if you'd like, but he has indeed been requested! and processing...

Any more questions or concerns? Comments or criticism? Please review! oh and Spanner is next (maybe Sunday)

Happy Thanksgiving to all American readers out there. And everyone else Happy Thursday! (Or Friday! Woohoo)


	50. A Gentle Touch

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

* * *

Spanner: A Gentle Touch

* * *

Your brows furrowed at the equation scrawled on the paper in front of you. "Can you explain this part again?" you asked, turning to the blonde sitting at your left.

"Hmm." Spanner propped up his head on his arm and angled his eyes to read the problem. You glanced at your fellow classmate who excelled in mathematics and science, but more specifically mechanics and engineering.

Letting out an indignant huff, you glared at the papers that threatened to fly away as the winds picked up erratically. You slammed your hand over the worksheets before they could be carried off with the wind.

You were currently sitting at a table positioned just outside the school, reviewing over the week's lectures. You had forcibly pulled Spanner aside to tutor you and help review the material. You were frustrated with how difficult it was to understand the concepts and you envied the blonde who easily breezed through the lessons and aced the exams when he hardly even attended class.

"This," Spanner began, pointing at the first step on your paper, "should be the given equation. Now, do you know what you're supposed to be solving for?" His green eyes fell on your confused expression but you stubbornly wanted to prove you were capable of solving this basic problem.

"Height – but I need to find the velocity first, right?" you asked, tracing your finger along the diagram.

"Yeah, but not using this equation," Spanner explained evenly. He leaned in closer, angling his body towards you more. You tried not to think too much of the proximity and decided learning was far more important. "Move all this to one side and cross these out, then divide – "

"Wait a second! Slow down!" You raised your hand to halt him from continuing.

"Sorry about that." Spanner paused in his instruction while you rewrote the steps.

You squeaked as the subdued breeze suddenly escalated into strong winds that disheveled your clothes and left your hair tragically unkempt. You were grateful the papers remained under the paperweight you had placed atop. You however, were not as fortunate in escaping nature's wrath.

"Ugh, my hair!" you complained in a restrained voice. You put down your writing utensil to amend your hair into its original style as the fierce winds continued. Desperately you combed your fingers through tangled locks, but you stiffened momentarily when Spanner's fingers entangled themselves in your locks and gently tugged them down in an effort to tame the craziness on your head. _'Woah! Spanner's touching my hair! He's helping me fix it_…' you thought as you slightly ducked your head in embarrassment.

You snuck a glance to your left to look at the blonde who was smiling as he helped to re-tame the left side of your hair. You combed down the right side of your hair with your fingers as the winds died down to a playful breeze.

You stared at him with a surprised expression, almost in disbelief that he even possessed a side of him that was gentle and chivalrous. You watched his emerald eyes scan the other side of your hair to the top of your head.

He smiled pleasantly as his fingers ran down your hair in a final sweep. The tips of his fingers lightly brushed over your skin, making it tingle as his fingers glided down your left cheek to your chin. "Perfect."

"Thanks," you hastily said and offered an appreciative smile. His calm smile slowly dissipated as he began to lean down towards you. You panicked inwardly, heart leaping, as the distance between you quickly lessened and then…another strong gust of wind blew. Spanner stiffened as the harsh wind forced him to shut his eyes while the gusts lifted your tresses and blew it every which way.

You laughed embarrassedly to break the now awkward atmosphere and said, "Strange weather we're having." This opportunity may have been lost but you knew another chance would come for you to get closer to the Italian genius.

The man beside you held a hand over his mouth as a slight blush dusted his cheeks. Upon seeing this, your mouth curved into an innocent-like smile as you began devising ways to further reveal the different sides of Spanner.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **notcrackers**

Hope you enjoyed, sorry its kinda late.

It was kinda sucky, but hey tell me what you think, what parts I should improve on: stucture, word choice, fluff?(LOL), etc.


	51. Kidnapped!

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!

Note: No romance. Mostly action. Sorta AU. It's been awhile so I don't remember how they were chosen to be the Arcobaleno- but I was thinking it was like a competition, a series of trials and tests, so I incorporated that idea here and which is why Lal and you, the reader, are present. Basically I'm saying the Arcobaleno haven't officially been chosen.

* * *

Arcobaleno: Kidnapped!

* * *

"How the hell did she get herself kidnapped?" the Rain Arcobaleno yelled in annoyance, walking to the edge of the rooftop.

"No clue," the Sun Arcobaleno muttered, scrutinizing the dilapidated mansion a few feet away. "You sure this is the place, Colonello?"

"See for yourself," you interjected before Colonello could fire back sarcastic insults. You tossed a pair of binoculars to the Sun Arcobaleno. Reborn only grunted as he swept the building across the street.

"I see her." The binoculars had x-ray vision that could only work a couple of miles away and through common construction material. "She's alone in a room, but it's surrounded by about twenty people."

Yes, their beloved Sky Arcobaleno has been taken hostage. In exchange the enemy wanted to be named the strongest of the world, or whatever—something idiotic. The enemy was obviously still green and had no idea what they were doing. Thus, everyone unanimously agreed to just take her back and destroy the enemy.

"I've got the blueprints of the building," came Verde's voice through your earpiece as well as Reborn's and Colonello's. There was a sound of static disturbance as he continued, "I've already transferred the details to you."

You replied, "Thanks," as everyone turned to the blue-haired woman who was already at the computer bringing up the files.

"What do you think, Lal?" Colonello asked.

"She's in a room right around the heart of the building. Whatever path we do take, it's not going to be easy," the combat specialist replied while analyzing the map.

"We should take this route in," Reborn suggested while pointing at a more direct path to their kidnapped comrade.

"No, they'll expect us to enter through there. They will have already set up enough obstacles to delay us further," Colonello commented.

"You overestimate them," the hitman retorted with a scoff.

"Or you are underestimating them," the Rain Arcobaleno threw back, turning to face his rival with a glare. Lal punched his arm in an attempt to shut him up.

"No, you're overestimating them," Reborn stated with definiteness while you ignored them to study the layout of the mansion.

"There's a way in through the rooftop. How about that?" came the voice of the Storm Arcobaleno through the earpiece. You took a moment to study the route from the rooftop. Fon was currently scouring the surroundings and looking for more options to vie their way in.

You frowned at the small path the blueprints displayed through the route. "The vents?" you questioned.

"Yes," Fon buzzed through the earpiece. "All the vents lead to that room so even if we take a wrong turn we'll still end up where Luce-sama is."

"If that's the case, they'll also be expecting us to enter through there," Colonello surmised.

"Not only that," Lal began in a stern tone, "but it would take up too much time if we do in fact end up lost in the ventilation system."

"I'd rather not enter a cramped space like that with you people," came the voice of the Mist Arcobaleno through static.

"I concur," Verde interjected through the earpiece.

"You're not even going, you cowardly scientist," stated the Cloud Arcobaleno. "You always stay back and never join in the action!"

"As compared to the pathetic idiot who can't even fire a gun properly, much less tie his own shoe?" Verde drawled venomously. Everyone suspected this was the reason Skull always wore boots.

"GH! That's…not any of your business!" came Skull's reply as he attempted to muffle his sobs.

"Crybaby," Reborn commented with a click of his tongue.

"Well," you sighed, realizing they would not reach a decision anytime soon. "How about the front door?" you suggested, immediately raising silence among the Arcobaleno while Reborn and Colonello looked at you with blank expressions.

"I don't see why not," Fon said with a slight hum in his voice. You surveyed the mansion across the street then down at the double doors at its anterior.

"It's not even guarded," Lal stated. She glanced at Reborn then at Colonello.

"You think it's another trap?" Colonello questioned with a raised brow.

"There are guards behind the doors," Viper piped in through the earpiece.

"Regroup. Now," Reborn ordered to the others scattered elsewhere. He received muffled replies and grunts.

"Who made you the boss?" Skull demanded sulkily.

"I did. At least for now," Reborn replied simply, giving him a stern look just as he arrived. "Got a problem, idiot?"

"Nope! None!"

"So what's the plan?" Viper asked in a polite tone but everyone knew he was impatient.

"We're using the front doors," Reborn smirked. "Since these two believe the other options are all traps." He nodded towards the two combat specialists.

"Wha…! There's nothing wrong with being cautious!" Lal stated defensively while Colonello crossed his arms dejectedly.

"I refuse to take part," the Lightning Arcobaleno said decisively.

"That's fine," Reborn answered, knowing fully well that combat was not his strong suit.

"Eh." Skull made an annoyed face, earning a kick to the face from Reborn.

"The rest of you are coming with me," Reborn ordered. "But we need to strategize first."

.

.

.

"Heh." Fon smiled in amusement as he stood over the doors he forcibly detached from its hinges. He met two shocked gunmen standing at either side of him and swiftly struck them down. He swept the vicinity cautiously despite sensing no other presence. "It's clear."

"Agreed," Viper muttered from the other side of the room. He had entered the same time Fon broke down the doors and scoured the room unnoticeably.

"Stay together," you advised as you stepped over the remnants of the once luxurious front doors. Everyone quickly entered the building and spread out.

"If I get any closer, I'll puke," Viper commented. You pulled an annoyed face at the comment.

"Seriously, by working together we'll be able to get to Luce faster. Don't branch out," Lal said sternly as she loaded other hidden guns with more bullets.

"Stop dawdling," Reborn said from the second floor. "This floor is clear. Let's quickly make our way up."

.

.

.

"Hey! You stepped on my ankle! Get offa me!" Colonello yelled over the gunfire.

"Skull, get up!" you said, pulling the Cloud Arcobaleno to a sitting position.

"But it hurts!" Skull wailed as he cradled his knee.

"UGH, you just elbowed me!" you shouted in anger.

"S-Sorry."

"Why the hell is this hallway so damn _cramped_?" Reborn growled irritably as he peered around the corner to shoot at the enemy.

"Verde is the one who told us to go this way," Viper mumbled.

"Hmph. The audacity of some people…you asked for the quickest way and that was it," Verde's voice drawled from the earpiece. "Don't blame the messenger."

"You failed to mention the amount of guards waiting to drill holes into us," Fon stated calmly as he shielded himself behind a wall.

"It shouldn't have been a factor, but you are clearly showing incompetence in dealing with the situation," was Verde's calm reply through the static.

Colonello gripped his headset and smashed it in his hand. "That guy is lucky he's not in my line of vision right now," the Rain Arcobaleno muttered as he aimed his shotgun at the next available target.

"I'm going to end this," Viper declared, not bothering to disguise his annoyance. "It's illusions versus those primitive machines."

"OW!" Colonello yelped as Viper stepped on his back. "Why does everyone keep stepping on me?!"

"Why are you still lying on the floor? Get up, you buffoon. You're already unnoticeable enough as it is," Reborn said dryly.

"Ouch! Don't step on me, too!"

"Hn, didn't see you."

.

.

.

"My turn," Fon said with a smile of anticipation. He then began to knock the enemy out one by one while their minds were trapped and their bodies rendered immobile.

"Okay, people are dying. Can we go now?" Viper asked as he stood among the unconscious bodies.

"How disturbing," you grumbled as you stepped over a fallen body.

"This took longer…Watch out!" Lal screamed as she pulled you down to the ground. "Looks like more are coming!"

.

.

.

"You first," Reborn cooed with a smirk. Everyone had their backs against the wall once again, sheltering themselves from a barrage of bullets.

Colonello scowled as he replied icily, "Age before beauty."

"It should be _'girls first,'_ right?" Skull intercepted. With that, everyone looked at Lal who was both older and a woman.

"You are so immature," Lal chided with a hateful glare.

Colonello sighed. "This is nonsense. I'll go."

"It's too late to act cool now," you commented, making him cringe. After refusing to take the initiative so flagrantly only moments prior, he had immediately lost his chance to impress his former mentor.

"Colonello, get out there already," Lal commanded, effectively scaring her previous student into the battlefield. You found it amusing that Colonello would rather risk the possibility of becoming something akin to Swiss cheese than become the resulting mush of Lal's wrath.

"Ten seconds," Viper piped up, placing a bet on how long Colonello would last.

"Five," Reborn countered with a smirk.

"He's already out," you observed as Colonello failed to dodge a stray bullet.

"How long was that?" Fon inquired.

"Three." Lal looked thoroughly unimpressed as she glowered at her limp student's body.

.

.

.

"Oh, hi everyone!" Luce greeted brightly. Reborn had just broken down the door to the room she was being held hostage and found her tied to a chair in the middle of the room.

"She's awfully carefree," you commented suspiciously with a hint of annoyance. Here they were risking their lives to save their beloved Sky and she was as cheerful as a parrot eating his cracker. Or whatever.

Lal had immediately cut Luce free of the constraints and helped her to her feet. "We have to get out of here. Can you run, Luce?"

"Run? Why must we run?" Luce questioned.

"Does this woman not know the situation we're in?" the hooded Mafioso drawled dryly.

Lal shot him a warning glare before replying, "Enemy reinforcements are coming in. We need to get out of here before they arrive."

A knowing smile spread over Luce's face as she nodded in understanding. "Then let's get moving."

"We can slow them down if they do manage to catch up to us," the injured Colonello suggested as they ushered Luce towards the exit.

"Hmm," came Verde's voice through your headset.

"Is something wrong, Verde?" you inquired in concern.

"The enemy seems to have an underground tunnel. They're making their way up from the bottom floor as we speak."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?!" Skull exclaimed with unconcealed panic. Everyone halted in their steps as they processed the new information.

"I didn't notice until their numbers showed up once they reached above ground level."

"So that means our exit…" Fon started breathlessly as he looked down the hallways.

"Is through the roof," you finished for him. You exchanged dubious glances before sprinting off towards the top floor.

.

.

.

"Jump!" Colonello yelled as he grabbed Lal's hand and leaped towards the aircraft Verde sent to pick everyone up. Everyone followed suit while Reborn unexpectedly yet romantically carried Luce across.

The craft hovered for too long a moment once everyone had boarded and you yelled in frustration, "For Heaven's sake, fly, you stupid machine!"

Colonello joined in yelling at the infernal craft and shouted, "Onward! Go! Ignite! Godspeed!"

"Press the button, idiot!" Lal hollered over Colonello's idiotic commands.

"Ingrates," came Verde's static cloaked muttering. The aircraft took off, courtesy of Verde, before anyone could further command the contraption.

.

.

.

"Don't you think it would be fun to go out once in a while?" the cheerful blue eyed woman suggested.

"Not a good idea, Luce," Reborn stated. Everyone had safely made it back to their base of operations and returned to their normal moods.

"Indeed. We can hardly stand each other in these Arcobaleno meetings, let along outside of them," the Storm Arcobaleno said, voicing his opinion.

"I concur," was Verde's simple answer. His eyes never left the technological device in his hands.

"I wouldn't waste my time with you people," said Viper.

"But you all just worked together for my sake, didn't you? You performed marvelously!" Luce exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Hardly," Colonello muttered under his breath.

Reborn paused, deep in thought. "Don't tell me," he began slowly, "you planned this." He turned to face the blue eyed woman and stared at her expectantly with suspicious eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Luce questioned with a wide smile.

"That smile tells all," Reborn accused.

"What the heck are you saying, Reborn?" you asked. "She let herself get kidnapped?"

"Yes. She foresaw it but chose not to fight against her captors, because she knew we would rescue her."

"That's stupid – making us get along with each other to rescue you. You should've just warned us and we could have beaten them before they could even put their plan into action," Viper snorted.

"The point was to get us to work together," Verde commented, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "To put aside our differences and use our specialties harmoniously in order to retrieve our Sky."

"And it worked, of course," Fon commented. They all knew the Sky was essential since all the elements basically revolved around the Sky.

"We clash too much," Lal stated thoughtfully. "It must've bothered you, Luce."

"Well, it worked out in the end," she replied with an understanding smile. "At least we know that you all are able to work together. It's not impossible."

"Something to remember in the future, I suppose," Reborn added thoughtfully.

"But for now, it's just a hopeless dream," you said with a sympathetic smile. Luce blinked and looked around to find that Verde and Viper had already taken their leave while Skull had fallen asleep. Lal, Fon, and Colonello shared a look of hopelessness.

Luce sighed. "There will be a time when everyone will willingly work together. I know there will be."

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Sabaku no Koori** I totally forgot to ask how you wanted this done! I had so many question while I was writing this! With Luce, or with Uni? Precurse, or not? Setting? Action? Comedy? boohoohoo im sorry TT-TT And i know you requested 2 years ago, but I still hope you like it.

When I wrote this, it was supposed to foreshadow into the Arcobaleno Arc, you know...hint at their teamwork and such.

I'm sooo psyched that I finally reached 300 reviews...it just took like 50 chapters haha.

Wamakai: Never give up on romance/love! XD And thanks!

Xyrilyn: Your reaction made me laugh, thank you!

SwissGem96: Yes, I'm a fangirl at heart XD and she comes out when I write. But there really is a funny sort of feeling when the person you like touches your hair.

celestial-ways-of-life: An interesting idea. For me, Spanner is very difficult to write, and I'd make him SO out of character XD

AlessandraCavallone: Length of stories have always worried me, and it always varies. I can't help how short the stories come out sometimes, especially if I don't have the time and there's so many other requests to be done. But hey, this one is long XD But when the quantity disappoints, I really hope the quality makes up for it :)

And I forgot to add this in the last chapter but THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! I'm happy to know that some of you go crazy while or after reading these. Or that my sucky writing (but fantastic ideas, though few) inspires you in whatever it is you do. It's sooo awesome to know readers actually feel something while reading what I write.


	52. Passion

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR!**

Yo, wassup! Happy Easter! Ahem, apologies for the hiatus...I seem to do that more often...anyway I hope you all enjoy this XD

I was rereading this particular oneshot and I literally LAUGHED, don't ask why. Its not supposed to be comedy but the idea of it kinda is. Not gonna spoil it so just get reading lol.

* * *

Fon: Passion

Fon confuses you. His element is storm yet he hardly possesses the relentless violence of his element. He is always calm and never shows signs of aggression, or even anger.

His element should be rain: it's calm and soothing—just like him. It suits him perfectly, unlike the element of a storm.

It is in this moment you decide to confront him to voice your opinion. It is no longer a matter of contemplation but the unearthing of the enigma that is Fon.

Upon approaching him you observe him sipping tea as he basks in the natural life within the backyard of his home. His free arm rests at his lower back as he observes calmly, almost as if he were quietly meditating. He certainly does not have the blazingly fierce quality of the storm especially with that peaceful smile on his face. You realize he isn't the type to snap and leave destruction and turmoil behind.

The thing about Fon is that he has _control_. He has control in every expression, movement, and attack. His years of martial arts training had led to both precision and restraint.

But there is something else there, you just didn't know what. He has a characteristic that makes him fit for the storm. He is a puzzle, and the thought makes you smile. He is indeed a challenge.

He doesn't even spare you a glance as you move to stand next to him and you almost decide against disturbing his tranquil mood. As if sensing your hesitancy, he inquires, "Is something troubling you?"

"Just wanted to ask a small question," you begin lightly, trying not to create a serious mood.

He smiles encouragingly and says, "Go on."

You can't help but notice the way he restrains his facial muscles as you answer, "Actually, I was wondering why your element is storm. It doesn't match your personality."

"What makes you say that?"

You mull your thoughts over as you reply carefully, "Your exceptional knack for control, I suppose."

"A skill acquired with years of training."

"I figured," you comment as your eyes narrow slightly. "So, why Storm?"

"Ah, that is an excellent question." He glances down at you and you catch a strange expression in his eyes, for only a fraction of a second. It surprises you, as if he had let his guard down momentarily. "But for another time, perhaps."

"Wait." You catch his sleeve in a delicate grip between your fingers as he turns to leave. Was he angry? You merely stated a well-known fact. You retract your hand quickly as a thought occurs to you. He refuses to answer you. But here you are, pressuring him for answers. You honestly didn't mean to offend him…perhaps it was a tad insulting to question his capability as a Storm element. "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to probe. It's just that…I've been trying to study your personality and actions, but I am lacking in…perception." Analytical tactics are supposed to be mastered by all hitmen, and disappointment quickly settles in upon realizing you are still an amateur. You still are unable to figure out the man standing before you.

Fon is still but the cup of tea falls from his hand. You watch as the cup miraculously remains intact upon impact and rolls onto the grass. He swiftly turns to fully face you and snatches up your wrist.

"It is cruel of you to tempt me by analyzing me so…passionately," he says as he places a light kiss over the pulse of your wrist.

You feel your face grow hot. "W-What?"

"I only have so much patience…and control." In the next second he pushes you down to the floor with a strange sort of grace and hovers only inches away. "It's a guise. You've already figured me out, haven't you? So clever, indeed."

_No I haven't!_ your thoughts scream out but all you can manage is "Wha-Wh…W-Wait!" You start to overheat as your thoughts become an incoherent mess. _'Floor…top…Fon…too close…he pushed me_ down_!'_

"You tried to corner me," Fon whispers in accusation. "Tried to hunt me; but I should let you know…I prefer being the hunter." A smile tugs at his lips.

You could only stare at him, eyes wide and unblinking. What's happening?! Who is this?!

"I may possess exceptional restraint during everyday activities, and even on the battlefield," he begins as he lowers his lips to your ear, "but even I don't have perfect defenses." And then he kisses you. You can sense the determination and intensity, and it makes your entire body shiver.

Realization slowly hits you as you force yourself to be rational. It is (painstakingly) slow, but the pieces come together eventually as you cower beneath the questionable Storm Arcobaleno. You look up at his face and see his anticipation. He may not be aggressive or destructive, but he is certainly passionate.

Strangely, in the midst of all that was happening you feel pride in finally figuring out the essence that is Fon. Underneath all that control and restraint, he is, at rare moments, as intense and wild as a storm in his passion.

. . .

. .

.

* * *

For **Hitman Leona**

See? Funny idea right? But honestly, I can't be the only one who wondered about Fon being a Storm element? He's not at all like Gokudera or Bel. Even Hibari would be better suited for a Storm (since he's uncontrollable). ...I had thought about this very deeply, y'know...

Also, I had been trying to go for a more psychological view, trying to develop my writing into a more mature style so y'know, thats why it ended up like that. BUT somehow I can't completely shake away my fluff habit XD I'm so into cheesiness, it just happens!

And yes, I tried my hand at present tense (I'm always in past tense). What did you think? Awkward flow? didnt have much time to edit :P

.

So my excuse for almost 4 months away is this: Ever since we changed our router (months ago), our internet connection has SUCKED BALL$. I think this is a legitimate excuse this time cuz the connection is soooo slow, and sometimes not. even. there. Even now, I waited two hours for a steady connection. every time I even thought about uploading something, the signal is nonexistent.

Well, expect me again between a few days and a couple of months (haha...ha...ha...sorry..) Depends on the internet connection.

Leave a review if you've got the time. thanks for still reading. and its awesome that ppl still follow and favorite this story.


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